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Part 5

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Part 4

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Part 3

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Part 2

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This report shows the conversion rates and site visits for ASOS. I used this information to work out my online sales mix.

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Asos.com is one of the largest e-commerce company in United kingdom. It is ranked 92 among the top websites in United kingdom. 63.2 million users visit this site every month. But, only 2.6% of these users buy products. We rate its effectiveness 7.2 out of 10. [1]

Comparing with its peers

We have classified asos.com as a leader in its marketing effectiveness, when compared to its peers in United kingdom. It has relatively better sign ups when compared to engagement.

Bottlenecks

It has 2 main bottlenecks in its marketing effectiveness:

1. Signups: 85% vistors don't signup

A huge number of the users who visit asos.com do not sign up. This is especially prominent in mobile website, where 92.5% of users don't signup. Without user's identity, the products are not personalized for individual users and there is no further chance of engaging the user through email. This causes the largest conversion drop off at asos.com.

2. Engagement: 89% visitors don't engage

89% of the visitors who visit asos.com don't add products to the cart. An average user visits the site atleast 3 times before making the buying the decision. Currently, asos.com sends few emails (like cart recovery email) to re-enagage users. This inability to bring back registered users through personalized recommendations causes the second biggest drop off in conversion.

These 2 bottlenecks cause significant drop in conversion. We recommend channel specific solution to solve these 3 conversion bottlenecks. We recommend that you solve the anonymous users problem on mobile and registered but unengaged users on email.

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Asos.com's conversion rates & bottlenecks

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Asos.com is one of the largest e-commerce company in United kingdom. It is ranked 92 among the top websites in United kingdom. 63.2 million users visit this site every month. But, only 2.6% of these users buy products. We rate its effectiveness 7.2 out of 10.

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Negative interest rates are being put in place to support the economy which has plummeted due to the pandemic.

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The Bank of England has taken another step towards adding negative interest rates to its crisis-fighting toolbox.

It's given High Street banks six months to be operationally ready for them.

Policymakers stressed that this did not mean that sub-zero borrowing costs were "imminent, or indeed in prospect".

But what exactly are negative interest rates? And could a world where savers are penalised and borrowers rewarded end up doing more harm than good?

What are negative interest rates?

The term "interest rates" is often used interchangeably with the Bank of England base rate.

Described as the " single most important interest rate in the UK", the base rate determines how much interest the Bank of England pays to financial institutions that hold money with it, and what it charges them to borrow.

High street banks also use it to determine how much interest they pay to savers, as well as what they charge people who take out a loan or mortgage.

The Bank of England usually lowers interest rates when it wants people to spend more and save less.

It cut them to a fresh low of 0.1% in March 2020 to try to stimulate the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In theory, taking interest rates below zero should have the same effect. But in practice, it's a bit more complicated.

After all, why would anyone pay to stash money in a savings account or lend someone money, when they can keep the cash at home for free?

Why might this happen now?

The Bank of England's number one job is to keep prices across the economy rising steadily every year.

This is known as the Bank's inflation target, which is set at 2% by the government.

Inflation measures how quickly the cost of living is rising.

And, measured by the consumer prices index (CPI), it stood at 0.6% in December, up from 0.3% in November 2020.

While low inflation means prices aren't rising quickly, if it remains low for too long, bosses start factoring that into pay reviews.

This can then dampen consumer confidence and spending.

Central banks have been cutting interest rates to spur inflation for years. But as rates approached zero across the developed world, a handful went a step further.

Sweden, Switzerland, Japan and the 19 nations of the eurozone all took interest rates below zero.

In Switzerland, negative interest rates have also helped to discourage investors from pouring money into the country during times of uncertainty.

How will this affect savers?

British savers have already seen their returns dwindle in recent years.

The average UK instant access account pays just 0.12%, according to the Bank of England, while accounts that require you to lock your money away currently offer an average return of 0.51%.

In countries with sub-zero interest rates, commercial banks have passed them on to big companies.

However, the evidence suggests there is a very high bar to pass the pain on to ordinary savers.

Christina Nyman, chief economist at Swedish lender Handelsbanken, says charging savers to put money in their own accounts is seen as "taboo" in Sweden.

She says: "Competition is fierce, and households are ready to move their money to another bank, so nobody wants to lose business."

Swiss banks UBS and Credit Suisse only impose negative rates on deposits of more than 2 million Swiss francs.

In Germany, where some banks impose charges on deposits of more than €100,000 (£90,000), some people have started stashing their money in vaults.

According to Germany's central bank, physical cash holdings by families and businesses there have almost trebled to €43.4bn since the European Central Bank (ECB) introduced a negative deposit rate in 2014.

But David Oxley at Capital Economics says there hasn't been a wider shift towards cash because most people still prefer the security and convenience of keeping it in the bank.

Putting it in a vault "runs the risk of the money either being lost, stolen, or damaged," he says. "Bank deposits cannot catch fire, but banknotes can."

What about borrowers?

Negative rate mortgages already exist. In 2019, Danish bank Jyske announced that it would effectively pay borrowers 0.5% a year to take out a 10-year loan.

James Pomeroy, an economist at HSBC, says this was only possible because of the nature of the mortgage market.

When someone in Denmark applies for a home loan, Danish banks act as a middleman between potential borrowers and investors.

"In Denmark the banks don't take the hit, investors do," says Mr Pomeroy. "Banks are then charging higher product fees, so have actually made money off of this."

But negative rate mortgages are unlikely to be offered in the UK any time soon.

When UK interest rates were slashed to 0.5% in March 2009, some borrowers thought they could be in line for a payment.

Around 1,500 Cheltenham and Gloucester customers had a mortgage that tracked 1.01 percentage points below the Bank of England base rate.

But any prospect of a windfall was quickly dashed when financial regulators described interest payments as "a one-way obligation on the borrower".

In a letter to UK bank bosses, Sam Woods, chief executive of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), said some lenders would need up to 18 months to make permanent changes needed to deal with negative rates.

While "short-term fixes" could be implemented within six months, upgrading systems not built to deal with a negative Bank of England base rate would take longer, especially for some mortgage customers.

Banks said they would find it easier to explain and implement changes to big corporate clients, because many already had international experience with negative rates.

What are the side effects of negative interest rates?

Negative interest rates hit bank earnings by squeezing the gap between the money they make on loans and what they pay to savers.

"If not passed on to customers, negative rates would hurt bank profitability, especially at a time when they are expected to be hit by crisis-related loan losses," says Danae Kyriakopoulou, chief economist at the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum (OMFIF).

Negative interest rates pose a particular challenge to building societies, which hold around £1 of every £5 in British savings accounts.

While commercial banks can access cheaper borrowing by tapping financial markets, building societies must raise at least half their funding from individual savers.

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The Bank of England has taken another step towards adding negative interest rates to its crisis-fighting toolbox. It's given High Street banks six months to be operationally ready for them. Policymakers stressed that this did not mean that sub-zero borrowing costs were "imminent, or indeed in prospect".

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By Robert Cuffe and Nicholas Barrett

About a quarter of people of working-age - around 10 million people - don't currently have jobs.

In the Budget, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt set out a series of measures designed to encourage people to find work, or increase their hours.

How many people are unemployed?

But the unemployed represent only a small part of the 10 million working-age people (aged 16-64) who aren't in a paid job.

Nearly nine million of them aren't called "unemployed". That's because they're not actively looking for work, or available to start a job.

In fact, more of them say they want a job (1.7 million people) than are officially unemployed.

Who isn't working - and why?

The main reasons for not working vary according to age.

Most of the 2.7 million "inactive" people under 25 are students, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The majority of them don't want a job.

You can see that in the graphic below. Click on the darker border surrounding any age group to see the spilt between men and women.

Your device may not support this visualisation

Things are different in other age groups.

Among 25- to 49-year-olds, 1.1 million people don't work because of caring responsibilities (about a million of whom are women).

About 940,000 people in this age group are not working because of illness (more evenly split between men and women).

About a quarter of those who are sick or caring say they want a job.

Does it matter that people aren't looking for work?

Many people have chosen to do something else: studying, retirement or caring.

But for others it's not a choice.

Some people can't afford childcare if they return to work, others are too sick, or have given up on finding a job.

As the chart below shows, sickness and caring responsibilities are the most common reasons for inactivity given by those who actually would like a paid job.

The number of people not working has a broader effect.

Since people on benefits generally have less money to spend than those in work, it also means less spending on the high street.

That in turn is bad for businesses and how many people they want to employ.

In turn, that can affect how many jobs are available for those who are job hunting.

How does the UK compare with other countries?

During the pandemic, all major countries saw their workforce shrink.

But while most leading economies have since recovered, the UK still has about 400,000 more people not working than in December 2019.

Since its publication, the number of retirees has fallen back to pre-pandemic levels.

It also said there was a mismatch between available jobs and those that might, for instance, tempt someone out of retirement.

For example, the vacancy rate is highest in restaurants and hotels - an industry often offering shifts, physically-demanding jobs and low wages.

What can be done to get more people into work?

A series of reforms were announced in the Budget to help some people get jobs or increase the hours they work. The measures were particularly aimed at:

older workers

people on benefits

parents and carers of young children

those with health conditions

These include letting people save more in private pensions, extending free childcare and offering more support to help disabled people find paid employment.

Broadening the pool of people given support to return to the job market is key, experts argue.

Helen Gray from the Learning and Work Institute believes job centres should widen their focus and offer more tailored support.

At present, "only one in 10 out-of-work older people and disabled people get help to find work each year," she says.

Louise Murphy from the Resolution Foundation says ministers must look beyond those who left work during the pandemic as many retirees, for example, may never come back.

She says the government should focus on supporting people with disabilities and long-term health problems, as well as parents with children.

Data visualisation by Nicu Calcea

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Unemployment: Who are the millions of Britons not working?

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The unemployment rate is close to its lowest point since the 1970s, but millions aren't working.

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Pioneering

The UK has one of the world's largest technology ecosystems with thousands of tech start-ups, built around a strong entrepreneurial culture.

Multi-purpose

UK technology fuels our most successful sectors, including digital, healthcare, transport, creative, entertainment, financial services, cyber security, agriculture, and communications.

Diverse

Many of the world's best-known companies use technology innovations from the UK including artificial intelligence, Internet of things, data centres, and 5G communication.

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The UK has one of the world's largest technology ecosystems with thousands of tech start-ups, built around a strong entrepreneurial culture. UK technology fuels our most successful sectors, including digital, healthcare, transport, creative, entertainment, financial services, cyber security, agriculture, and communications.

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The growth of the tech sector underlines the UK's ambition to be the best place in the world to start or build a digital tech business

Tech is expanding 2.6 times faster than the rest of the UK economy, according to Tech Nation's 2018 report. The digital tech sector is worth nearly £184 billion to UK economy, up from £170 billion in 2016.

London ranks as second most connected place for tech in the world, after Silicon Valley. But, when it comes to proportion of overseas customers, the UK capital trumps the self-appointed tech capital of the world.

This tech growth is not restricted to London, with the report identifying 16 towns in the UK, dubbed Silicon Suburbs, which are showing a higher proportion of digital tech employment than the UK average.

>See also: UK and France strengthen tech sector and AI links

Eileen Burbidge, partner, Passion Capital & Chair of Tech Nation said that from "fintech to healthtech, self-driving cars and artificial intelligence, the UK's digital tech sector is having an impact on every aspect of our daily lives and economy. Tech Nation's survey of the industry shows that confidence and optimism is high, but it is important for us to keep supporting this sector and give British companies the best chance they can to grow and scale."

The report also shows that diversity in digital tech is a slowly improving trend. Figures show more black, Asian and ethnic minority workers employed in tech than across the UK in general (15% v 10%). Although, there is relatively little progress with improving the levels of gender diversity within tech - an issue Information Age's Women in IT Awards series is trying to help tackle.

The report, published by Tech Nation - a new voice for the UK's fast-growing digital tech sector - is building on the work of Tech City UK and Tech North with the aim of accelerating the growth of the digital tech sector across the UK, while helping ambitious founders to succeed, increase digital skills, share learning and knowledge between sectors and communities, and help present the UK tech sector on the world stage.

>See also: PM backs 'world-class tech sector as we build an economy fit for the future'

Digital Secretary Matt Hancock said that "Tech Nation 2018 not only highlights the underlying strength of our digital economy but also emphasises its huge potential. Our world-leading tech firms are growing fast and creating the high-skilled, high-paying jobs of the future. They are a hotbed of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. This is a huge success story, and we are working hard to make sure the benefits of digital technology reach every corner of the country as we build a Britain that is fit for the future."

Accelerating sector growth

The UK's digital tech sector continues to accelerate faster than the rest of the economy, according to Tech Nation 2018. Turnover of digital tech companies grew by 4.5% between 2016-17 compared to UK GDP which grew by 1.7% over the same period, according to the figures.

This means that the tech sector grew at 2.6 times faster than the rest of the economy. At the same time the number of jobs in digital tech rose at five times the rate of the rest of the economy, demonstrating how the digital tech sector is one of the best performing sectors in the UK economy.

A record year

2017 was a strong year for the UK digital tech sector with some of biggest fundraising and exits seen in years, as international investors came in their hoards to fund UK-based firms. Indeed, British digital tech companies raised £4.5 billion in venture capital investment during the year, according to Pitchbook figures - almost double the previous year.

Notable exits for the sector during 2017 included Matchesfashion.com, which was sold to a private equity investor for almost £750 million and Leeds-based CallCredit acquired by TransUnion for £1 billion.

>See also: Technology dominates Autumn Budget as key to UK's growth

There were also several 'mega funding' rounds during the year, with game development platform Improbable raising £370 million from Japan's Softbank, food delivery service Deliveroo raising £284 million and mobile network Truphone raising £249 million.

Some of the UK's fastest growing tech companies include; Improbable, Deliveroo, Farfetch, TransferWise, Funding Circle, Revolut, The Hut, Skyscanner, Fanduel, Oxford Nanopore, Benevolent.AI and Darktrace. DeepMind, acquired by Google in 2014, is a global leader in artificial intelligence and still based in London.

Will Shu, founder at Deliveroo said: "Deliveroo was started in Britain, grew from Britain and London remains our global HQ. It's here that we build the technology that allows us to deliver millions of orders around the world. And without the talent, creativity and expertise of the people who work here, none of that would be possible."

In total, the UK has seen £42 billion venture-backed exits between 2013 and 2017. Companies that have gone from startup to household names, with stock market listings worth billions of pounds in less than a decade, include Just Eat, Zoopla and Purplebricks. The proposed purchase of Zoopla by US investor Silver Lake for £2.2 billion, announced last week, underlines the success and future potential of the UK's digital tech businesses.

>See also: The UK's largest cities for tech jobs

Suzanne Ashman Blair, partner at LocalGlobe, said that "as investors we are seeing an environment now where start-ups can scale to become large companies with global impact. We are proud to invest in British startups that aim to be at the forefront of a global shift in how we live and work."

International reach

A third of London's businesses have foreign customers, surpassing the 30% of Silicon Valley companies that have overseas customers, according to data from Startup Genome. The UK is also recognised as the third in the world for total capital invested in digital tech companies, behind the US and China.

London is the second most connected tech ecosystem globally, behind only Silicon Valley, and 25% of the world's entrepreneurs report a significant relationship with two or more others based in London.

London startups have the fourth most international workforce in the world. Only Singapore, Berlin and Chicago have a higher proportion of overseas workers, according to the report.

>See also: What does the gov's Digital Strategy mean for the UK tech industry?

James Meekings, managing director at Funding Circle said: "The encouraging growth of the UK's technology sector is testament to the remarkable talent and creativity seen across the country. It's been hugely exciting to witness the rise of disruptive British technology companies, and I strongly believe that the UK will remain a pioneer in this area in the future."

A visual representation of the UK's global connections can be seen here, and a comparison of the UK's digital tech sector to 20 international cities can be seen here.

The rise of Silicon Suburbs

The 2018 Tech Nation Report also revealed the rise of 'silicon suburbs' and tech towns across the UK, where the digital tech sector is growing in urban areas not usually associated with startups and tech businesses. These smaller population centres are attracting more digital tech businesses, just as the whole UK tech sector widens the growth gap between itself and other sectors.

The 16 tech towns with above higher than average levels of tech employment could prove to be the areas for the next generation of tech startups. The towns are:

Newbury
Reading
Basingstoke
Burnley
Slough and Heathrow
Livingston
Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City
Guildford and Aldershot
High Wycombe and Aylesbury,
Southend
Enniskillen
Telford
Cheltenham
Stafford
Huntingdon
Swindon

>See also: Huawei commits £3BN over five years to the UK's tech industry

Eight cities are also showing above average tech employment, demonstrating how the UK's tech boom is spreading beyond locations like East London and Manchester where it already well established. The cities are: Portsmouth, Bristol, Cambridge, Southampton, Oxford, York, Salisbury and Bath.

Diversity in tech

The digital tech sector's workforce is older than commonly perceived - which will need to be addressed - and more ethnically mixed than the average UK workplace.

On average 72% of UK digital tech workers are over 35, challenging the stereotype that jobs in this sector are the preserve of millennials, but also suggesting that more needs to be done to get younger workers into the tech sector, to generate new ideas and bring new skills.

The general absence of women in the tech sector remains a problem (only 19% of the digital tech workforce is female, compared to 49% across all UK jobs), albeit one that is beginning to be addressed by activities to tackle the recruitment and retention of women.

Impact of Brexit

As part of this report, Tech Nation carried out a survey that received 3,428 responses. The responses showed that Brexit is less significant for companies outside London, which historically have relied less heavily on overseas talent to fill job vacancies.

>See also: Merger and Acquisitions in 2018: What can be expected from tech?

The only places in which Brexit is cited as a top 3 challenge are Cambridge and London. In general, tech communities across the UK are 'highly optimistic' about the growth prospects for digital tech companies in their local area, both in terms of scale and number of businesses. And UK entrepreneurs are overwhelmingly optimistic about the future of the UK's digital tech sector - with over 70% of respondents believing the number of digital tech businesses in their local area will rise over the next 12 months, and over 90% saying that the scale of digital tech businesses in their local area will either expand or stay the same.

Roland Emmans, head of Technology Sector for HSBC, said: "Tech firms are refusing to be distracted by Brexit. While technology was one of the most anti-Brexit sectors in the run-up to the EU referendum, our tech customers are now taking a 'que será, será' attitude. Rather than getting caught up in the uncertainty they're focusing their growth plans on the areas they can influence. While concerns remain around areas such as hiring European talent, the fact is that UK tech companies attracted more investment last year than their counterparts in Germany and France put together."

Networking and emerging tech

There is a growing trend of informal tech meet-ups across the UK, where emerging technologies are being discussed, according to the report. It found that artificial intelligence is becoming more important, and of the top 400 UK tech meet-ups with the largest membership, nearly 16% of them are related to AI.

>See also: The UK is the digital capital of Europe: Tech Nation 2017

Suranga Chandratillake, partner at Balderton Capital said: "The UK is a leader in technologies like artificial Intelligence and blockchain. We must do all we can to leverage this advantage so that we continue to attract the most skilled people from around the world to work in our successful tech businesses. If we can do that, I'm confident that Europe will one day soon produce its own global tech giant."

According to the report, 1.6 million people across the country belong to 3,627 informal tech meet-up groups.

Analysis of data has revealed that particular cities are quickly developing specialisms for different emerging technologies. For example, blockchain is an emerging specialism in Manchester, where there were 151 meet-ups with nearly 62,000 members.

Gerard Grech, chief executive and co-founder of Tech Nation said that: "The UK's tech sector is growing almost three times faster than the rest of the economy. What started as Tech City is increasingly Tech Nation. London is the world's second most connected hub after Silicon Valley. We need to make the most of that, as our new relationship with the EU will undoubtedly force us to be even more adaptive, innovative and ambitious."

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Tech Nation 2018 report: UK tech ahead of the rest of the economy

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The growth of the tech sector underlines the UK's ambition to be the best place in the world to start or build a digital tech business Tech is expanding 2.6 times faster than the rest of the UK economy, according to Tech Nation's 2018 report.

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The Brexit deal has failed to have any major effect on the exchange rate of the pound since January 1. The pound has held steady against the US dollar at US$1.36 and has strengthened slightly against the euro to €1.12. This was very much consistent with the modest expectations of the markets. But what about the longer term?

According to the research centre UK in a Changing Europe, the effect of Brexit on the economy is expected to emerge slowly, but to be permanent. The centre estimates that UK's economy will shrink by a total 4.9% over 15 years.

This is likely to add extra pressure on the pound, which has generally been weakening in recent years. The question is how quickly the effects of Brexit are likely to feed through.

At the same time, Brexit has played a role in undermining international investors' belief in the UK as a beacon of stability and trustworthiness and hence in a prosperous future for the British economy. This too is likely to affect the currency over time.

The Brexit effect

Sterling was already in an obvious downward trend against both the dollar and euro over the past couple of decades, as you can see from the chart below. Since the global financial crisis of 2008-09, this trend has accelerated because of the UK economy's relatively slower productivity growth, despite the fact that it was running a very loose monetary policy. Incidentally, the pound has been falling faster against the euro than the dollar.
Sterling/USD and sterling/euro rates Jan 2000-Dec 2020

TradingView

So where does Brexit fit in? Although the Brexit trade deal guarantees that goods such as food, clothes, white goods and machines will continue to trade without tariffs, there are caveats that are likely to undermine trade between the EU and UK - with potential consequences for the currency.

To qualify for zero tariffs, goods need to satisfy the relevant rules of origin, which relate to where the items came from. For example, a car assembled in the UK will qualify to be sold free of tariffs to the EU as long as 60% or more of its value was produced either in the UK or the EU.

The tweet, from Peter Foster, the public policy editor at the Financial Times, explains this concept, adding that companies are now realising what "rules of origin does to supply chains ".

In addition to the rules of origin, trade in goods covered by the deal is only tariff free as long as there is no significant divergence in terms of rules and regulations ( the famous level playing field clause). This means that neither side is allowed to lower their standards if they want free trade to continue. If this led to divergence in UK standards over time, this could reduce the number of products that could be freely traded. However, it seems more likely that the UK will avoid diverging from EU standards and that as a result, more tariffs will not be added here.

Overall, however, all trade models predict that international trade in goods between the UK and EU will be reduced, given that Brexit creates new obstacles for the two trading partners and this is costly. As a consequence, some import prices will increase and some export jobs will be lost.

Less trade with the EU, the biggest single market for the UK, will imply reduced demand for its currency and hence a lower value for the pound. This could also mean that UK firms face less competition domestically from EU exporters, which could cause productivity in Britain to further flatten. Reduced productivity for the UK could also cause sterling to drop in value as devaluation is then the only alternative to maintain international competitiveness.

Services are even more important from the UK's perspective. Led by areas like finance and law, they make up a significant part of UK GDP, and the EU is again the biggest single export market.

The Brexit deal does not include trade in services. The UK and EU are still aiming to negotiate an agreement that will involve them. But with Paris and Frankfurt seeking a share of the UK's financial services business, a reduction in EU-UK services trade seems unavoidable.

Maintaining the same level of activity in the UK therefore looks uncertain in the short term, and not without its problems in the long term - depending on whether there is an agreement on services in the next year or so. Because services is the biggest part of the UK economy, a failure to reach such an agreement could reduce demand for sterling in European markets more than anything else.

In sum, the Brexit deal is likely to mean that sterling will continue its downwards trend against the dollar and euro. This will affect everything from the price that people pay in British supermarkets to the cost of holidaying abroad. It will not come as a surprise if the euro equals a pound sterling over the next two years and the dollar rate strengthens to US$1.20 to the pound.

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Brexit: UK pound has not crashed yet, but here's why it will probably suffer in years to come

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The Brexit deal has failed to have any major effect on the exchange rate of the pound since January 1. The pound has held steady against the US dollar at US$1.36 and has strengthened slightly against the euro to €1.12. This was very much consistent with the modest expectations of the markets.

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These days many of us work from home. We no longer get up, shower, and get dressed for the day, as most people won't see us, and if they do, it is in a zoom meeting where we only have to be presentable from the waist up.

Even if you have returned to the office in Level 1 of lockdown, there were months when wearing or buying work clothes were virtually non-existent. So how has this impacted the fashion industry and changed the offerings they select for us?

How has lockdown impacted the fashion industry? Refilwe chats to Anja Joubert, Trends Director at Superbalist to find out.

Joubert explains that companies such as Superbalist have a year lead time in buying for the next fashion cycle.

There is of course time to react to trade in real-time but the bulk of things are quite far ahead.
Anja Joubert, Trends Director - Superbalist

What was interesting for me, was to see the sales reflect the way we were living, with most people working from home.
Anja Joubert, Trends Director - Superbalist

There's a term called 'above the keyboard' dressing, and that was literally what we saw.
Anja Joubert, Trends Director - Superbalist

She says the first wave was loungewear and active wear.

We couldn't keep up with loungewear across all our brands and private labels. Activewear skyrocketed.
Anja Joubert, Trends Director - Superbalist

Branded t-shirts for men became a thing.

I thought it was very interesting that on the menswear side, branded t-shirts did really well.
Anja Joubert, Trends Director - Superbalist

Certain categories began spiking, including sleepwear, knitwear, and kidswear, she adds.

Kidswear home skyrocketed - bedding, we couldn't keep up with it.
Anja Joubert, Trends Director - Superbalist

With children not in school wearing uniforms, she says parents were buying more clothing for their kids.

Then the trend began to include volume dresses and tier dresses for women as sweatpants fatigue kicked in, she says.

It is very comfort-driven but is also now going into a more versatile type of wardrobe.
Anja Joubert, Trends Director - Superbalist

This trend has moved to clothes that you can wear to work and at home.

Denim is one of the big shifts, with people wearing denim for all occasions.

Finally, she says colour began to be a big factor for consumers.

You have got loungewear to dress up in, so you are being more experimental or brave with colour and trying new things, like lilacs and butter yellows.
Anja Joubert, Trends Director - Superbalist

I think there is going to be more of a move to bright colours, a bit of positivity in the mix.
Anja Joubert, Trends Director - Superbalist
Listen to the interview below:
This article first appeared on CapeTalk : How 'above-the-keyboard' dressing has become a fashion trend

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How 'above-the-keyboard' dressing has become a fashion trend

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These days many of us work from home. We no longer get up, shower, and get dressed for the day, as most people won't see us, and if they do, it is in a zoom meeting where we only have to be presentable from the waist up.

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Alongside a survey to research customer profile, I also made sure to focus on the hobbies, interests and behaviours of Gen Z as consumers.
They are activists by nature and so fight for equality, diversity and inclusivity.
Gender neutral pronouns have become popular over social media with many young people stating their pronouns in their social bio's.
ASOS have also began signing off posts deliberately stating the pronouns of the poster.
This normalises different gender identities and promotes inclusivity.

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Amongst the flurry of rainbow-themed merch dropping ahead of Pride, products advertised as 'unisex' or 'genderless' were popular across promotions. But with gender fluidity yet to be fully integrated into the fashion industry, are these long-overdue gestures for inclusivity or tokenistic attempts at wokeness?

The blurring of genders has been prominent in fashion for years. From androgynous influences on the runway to mass market retailers running 'borrowed from the boys' clothing edits for women. The unisex space is a fully realized market, yet that doesn't mean it's all-encompassing.

Retailers don't always separate gender-neutral from gender-fluid, pitching shapeless and oversized garments as gender-inclusive, which according to Wren Sanders, 'overlooks trans people who wear skirts and suits to affirm their identities.' With the increasing awareness of and sensitivity to the experiences of the trans and gender non-conforming (trans&gnc) communities, this is another area of the fashion industry that needs improvement.

Ahead of Pride, notable retailers have launched capsule ranges advertised as 'genderless' or 'unisex.' We present the data findings of what this market currently looks like and who are the brands catering to it outside of this period.
Reach out for a demo on how retailers are approaching sensitive issues such as gender fluidity and other changes in the market.
Gender neutral doesn't always mean gender fluid

It's easy to see why this is an area of focus. According to the Phluid Project, 56% of Gen-Z consumers shop outside of their assigned gendered area. Factoring in this cohort's $143 billion spending power and the growth of the savvy consumer demanding diversity in fashion, it's never been more timely for brands to promote an inclusive message with non-binary merchandise across all areas.

But how inclusive is this market really? Despite the word 'unisex' appearing dated in comparison to 'genderless' and 'gender-neutral,' the bulk of products in this space are described with the former term, while the use of 'gender-fluid' or 'gender-inclusive' are scarce. Overall new arrivals in the past three months are down 32% in the US and 8% in the UK. This doesn't mean demand is contracting as COVID-19 has impacted arrivals market-wide while retailers may be cluing in that consumers are shopping based on aesthetics rather than labels. For example, Ssense told WWD it buys lines that blur gender norms but avoids categorizing products as 'unisex' or 'gender-fluid.'

For retailers using this terminology, tops make up the majority of categories in stock in both regions with T-shirts as the most invested style, equaling 29% and 33% of its parent category in the US and UK, respectively. In the US, this is followed by hoodies at 11% versus in the UK, sweatshirts at 12%. The US leans more towards bottoms with sweatpants and trousers, making up 6% of its total category while jeans are 4%. Genderless outerwear is more commonplace in the UK market.

With consumers embracing the 'homewear' wardrobe post-COVID, sleepwear also resonated within this space, especially in the US. This category makes up 5% of unisex products in this region compared to 2% last year.

As imagined, this market leans towards more dark and muted tones. Outside of white and black, blue is the strongest tone invested in across both regions. Grays are more prevalent in the US, while the UK gives similar weighting to pinks and greens.

Further to the point that gender-neutral doesn't always equal gender-inclusive, unisex products are predominantly graded in standard men's sizing as the current psychology is women are more inclined to wear men's clothing than vice versa. This mentality is still apparent in the fashion industry and proven through the product catering to this market. It is usually classified as either essentials, like jeans and tees, or sports and loungewear, which presents an opportunity to break down gender barriers through under indexed categories.

Recent launches & collaborations
JW Anderon x Yoox
With the motto "beyond seasons, beyond trends, beyond genders," London-based label JW Anderson celebrated Yoox's 20 year anniversary with a genderless nine-piece capsule collection. Traditional gender norms were challenged through the cut and fit of garments, which included an asymmetrical shirt dress, corduroy trousers and a long skirt.

Image via Yoox

Ralph Lauren x Pride
This Pride Month, the American retailer reimagined its Polo pony graphic in rainbow, emblazoned across T-shirts, fanny packs and tank tops. Ralph Lauren tapped members of the Black and LGBTQIA+ communities such as Indya Moore and Jeremy Pope to front the campaign, while a percentage of every purchase will be donated to the Stonewall Community Foundation.

Nordstrom

In celebration of Pride month, Nordstrom released its first-ever gender-inclusive collection, Be Proud by BP, a 28-piece colorful range consisting of tie-dyed hoodies, tank tops, shorts and accessories. The department store will donate 10% of sales from the range to True Colors United, a nonprofit organization that focuses on youth homelessness within the LGBTQIA+ community.

While this is a step in the right direction, the cadence of product launches can often read to customers as a box-ticking exercise. With more brands pioneering genderless and gender-inclusive fashion from their inception, there is plenty of opportunities for multi-brand retailers to support and cater to these communities outside Pride.

Brands of note
Cold Laundry
A Black-owned business based in London, Cold Laundry offers modern and functional streetwear transcending genders with a focus on ethically sourcing and manufacturing at an affordable price point.

Image via Cold Laundry

Telfar
Known for its iconic vegan leather 'TC' tote and its brand message, "It's not for you, it's for everyone," Telfar boasts both eco-friendly and inclusive credentials.
Nicopanda
A New York based streetwear and lifestyle brand launched in 2015. Known for its edgy and playful approach to ready-to-wear and accessories, as well as high-profile collaborations with MAC, Macy's, Urban Outfitters and more.

Nicopanda x Macy's Collaboration

Official Rebrand
Also written as OR?!, Official Rebrand gives new life to discarded clothing through painting and alterations, minimizing waste and creating new gender-free garments.

Image via Official Rebrand

For more brands in this space, log in to read our report.

The end of traditional fashion culture

According to the Fashion Spot's diversity report, Fall 2020 saw only 21 transgender and non-binary models cast compared to 46 castings in Spring 2020. The new fashion week format will see more seasonless and genderless presentations, hopefully setting the tone for more inclusive casting. London's Digital Fashion Week, which wrapped up on June 14th, was defined as a gender-neutral event. Unisex collections fom designers such as Charles Jeffery Loverboy and Parc, while Natasha Zinko x DUOltd merged menswear with womenswear.

The fashion industry is poised for an overhaul with the Black Lives Matter movement acting as a catalyst for businesses to rework their hierarchies, seeing many executives stepping aside while brands enforce policies for change. Earlier in June transgender model and activist Munroe Bergdorf rejoined L'Oreal, now sitting on its Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board after previously being fired by the company for speaking out against racism. If more businesses give Black, trans and queer voices a seat at the table, it paves the way for a more diverse and inclusive industry from the top down.

While brands are making strides to be more gender-inclusive, the microscope will be on their integrity going forward. How are they continuing this conversation and support in the future? Only time will tell but what's for certain is Gen-Z's collective $143 billion and unwavering loyalty will go to the businesses that pull up and champion inclusivity all year round.

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The need for gender fluidity in fashion beyond Pride | EDITED | The Retail Data Company

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The blurring of genders has been prominent in fashion for years. From androgynous influences on the runway to mass market retailers running 'borrowed from the boys' clothing edits for women. The unisex space is a fully realized market, yet that doesn't mean it's all-encompassing.

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This graph shows how Gen Z spend their time on social media. This influenced my marketing strategy as I knew the best way to interact with my target audience.

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Gen Z are becoming the most important target consumer, entering young careers and as students they spend more money.

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Getting to Know Gen Z

How the Pivotal Generation is Different from Millennials

Generation Z is becoming one of the most powerful consumer forces in our market, with an influence on nearly $44 billion in discretionary spending a year. As they continue to form their own brand preferences and develop personal buying behaviors, they will have a strong influence on the direction our market will go. Our latest research report takes a deep dive into these expectations and identifies how Gen Z is pivoting away from past generations to create a unique identity all their own.

Download

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Getting to Know Gen Z | Millennial Marketing

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How the Pivotal Generation is Different from Millennials Generation Z is becoming one of the most powerful consumer forces in our market, with an influence on nearly $44 billion in discretionary spending a year. As they continue to form their own brand preferences and develop personal buying behaviors, they will have a strong influence on the direction our market will go.

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hobbies - being a good person

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Muhammad Najem's Twitter and Instagram feeds are filled with selfies, but the self-portraits he shares are far from what many might expect of a teenager. Najem's face takes up just a small portion of the screen - the rest shows exploding bombs, falling buildings, and the cries of pain, anger and frustration that have been the norm in Syria since its civil war began in 2011.

Since he was 14 years old, Najem has made it his mission to show the world the effects the war has had on his town in Eastern Ghouta and the rest of Syria. With the help of his older brother, he made a YouTube and Twitter account and started to share footage with the world. He has shared the story of how his father was killed in a bombing, video of the walls of his home falling apart around him and the remnants of what he says used to be his school.

This is a video showing the world what happened in my school of destruction and shelling. We were in the eastern Ghouta. Look at the study desks. How did the school yard and the writing pad in the classroom all become wreckage?#syria https://t.co/kclntJ8VjG pic.twitter.com/lgTPplkYWA
- muhammad najem (@muhammadnajem20) May 7, 2018

The fall of a barrel of Russian aircraft over my house and the victims of#syria 2018#SaveGhouta 😭 https://t.co/qkh1Ckz7BQ pic.twitter.com/psrSLmcBRA
- muhammad najem (@muhammadnajem20) February 24, 2018

Najem told CBS News that his goal is to use social media to be a voice for the children who have died during the conflict. The United Nations estimates that 9,000 children have been killed or injured in the conflict.

"I share my voice to show people the serious situation in Syria," said Najem, who is now 17. "This is my country, so it's my responsibility. It's my job to show the world the difficult situation in Syria. We need to find a solution to this problem."

Just 20 years ago, the world would likely not have seen Najem's videos or followed his story of being displaced and seeking refuge in Turkey in real time; students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School may not have been able to register hundreds of thousands of people to vote, or organize a national movement in support of gun reform. Greta Thunberg may not have become a global icon for the fight against climate change, and the incident that a 17-year-old girl captured on her phone that resulted in George Floyd's death may not have gained national attention, if any at all.

But with platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, Generation Z - defined by Pew Research as those born after 1996 - has been able to use the digital world they were born into to revolutionize activism.

That includes 13-year-old Amariyanna Copeny, also known as "Little Miss Flint." Copeny has been fighting to fix the water crisis in her hometown of Flint, Michigan, since she was 8 years old. Flint became the site of one of the worst man-made environmental disasters in history in 2014 when improperly treated water was provided to residents and complaints of toxic lead levels went ignored.

In 2016, Copeny wrote a letter to then-President Barack Obama and helped persuade him to visit Flint and see how pervasive the crisis was firsthand. Years later, she said she's harnessed the national attention she received to raise more than $500,000, and said she has supplied more than 1 million water bottles to her hometown. She is now raising money to distribute Hydroviv water filters for a long-lasting, more sustainable fix.

"If I don't speak then who will?" Copeny told CBS News. "I just want everybody to have clean water. Everyone thought that it was only Flint that had a bad water crisis. No, America has a water crisis."

Week 1

Everyone knows about Flint but did you know Newark is currently dealing with a lead water crisis. In fact several towns in America have undrinkable water.

Thats why its my goal to bring quality filters to them https://t.co/3lqcfoqzF0
- Mari Copeny (@LittleMissFlint) September 25, 2019

Ziad Ahmed, a 21-year-old Yale student and the CEO/Founder of JUV Consulting, has been working to change the world since he was 14. As a freshman in high school, he created the non-profit organization Redefy, described as "a hub for youth activism." Students involved in the organization create local chapters nationwide focused on disseminating information about social justice issues and policies by way of classroom activities, community programs and social media campaigns. The organization's website also serves as a teen-run news outlet for students to write about these topics.

But Ahmed isn't just using his businesses to ignite conversations about discrimination, mental health and federal policies - he's using his personal accounts, too.

Ahmed has 16,000 followers on TikTok, and has used that platform to discuss the importance of female leadership, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and why Black Lives Matter is a movement of equality. His Twitter feed is dedicated to supporting people of color and sharing insight on social justice issues, all of which are prominent topics on the app.

"Gen Z is a generation of we. Millennials fought a lot of battles for us. They said, 'I can be whoever I want to be,' and we're saying, 'hell yeah. I can be whoever I want to be, but isn't it more beautiful when we're whoever we want to be together?"

"At the click of a button, we can start a movement. ...The weight of the world is heavy. And there's a lot going on, and there's a lot of change that we need to make and a lot more justice that we need to achieve," Ahmed added. "I would say that my peers are passionate, and I would say my peers are frustrated, but also I think my peers are optimistic. ... We're looking at a world where there is so much injustice and brutality and unfairness and bias, and we're saying, damn it, we can't just let this keep going."

In a 2019 report, Irregular Labs found that nearly three-quarters of the generation believes that being politically and socially engaged is very important to their identity, and for many, "being politically and socially engaged is simply being a good citizen."

"Our generation is a generation of activists," 18-year-old Caleb Lee told CBS News. "We really care about the future of this country, we care about equality."

Lee, who just graduated from high school, said in the three years he took U.S. history, he never "learned about the Black side of history other than slavery and the civil rights movement." He said he only learned about it when he elected to take a contemporary Black history class his senior year.

"I really just learned just how ingrained racism is in our society, in our country," Lee said. "Unfortunately, I feel like a lot of Americans don't have the same opportunities as I did to learn about Black history. But what they do have are their smartphones and social media."

Lee has been filming Black Lives Matter protests in New York City for several weeks. Racial injustices and oppression are difficult for many people to understand, especially when they don't see or experience it firsthand, he said, adding that he wanted to show people the raw emotion that protesters bring to demonstrations.

"When I heard about the systemic killings of African Americans in my country, I felt like I had to do something about it," Lee said. "It's a very complex issue. ...If you don't experience racism day to day, I think it's really hard to know that it exists."

All of the Gen Zers that CBS News spoke with said they don't have the luxury of being silent.

The U.N. expects that tens of millions of people will be displaced because of climate change just within the next decade. Giffords Law Center found that gun violence in the U.S. increased 16% between 2014 and 2017. National reports show that 20% of the world - or roughly 1.6 billion people - lack adequate housing.

"We cannot afford to not care or not to see because this is the world that we're inheriting," Ahmed said. "Whether or not there is clean air or clean water in 50 years, it is a personal and a political issue, and it should be treated as such. It's not a choice to care. I think it's just our reality. We've been forced to care because the systems and people before us let us down and did not invest in the systems that will empower us, that will save us."

The power of Generation Z has not gone unnoticed by other generations.

Martin Luther King III, who is 62, told CBS News that the group has managed to take decades of activism that happened before them - such as the civil rights work of his dad, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - and make people engage with it in new and unique ways.

"I felt like I was beating my head against the wall, trying to get people to engage, and now you don't have to do that because people want to, they have the desire, they have the propensity" King told CBS News. "This is a manifestation of what we've been working for. ...It's exciting to realize that these changes that some of us have been fighting for forever, are going to happen."

Today's youth seem to have a natural knack for making a difference, King said, and are making bigger changes from younger ages. He said that today's climate and the available technologies have created the perfect opportunity for the generation to put an end to injustice.

"The way my wife characterized it is, we have to work for change, we have to pray for change, we have to be the change," King said, "and if love is not yet won, then the battle is not yet over."

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From TikTok to Black Lives Matter, how Gen Z is revolutionizing activism

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Muhammad Najem's Twitter and Instagram feeds are filled with selfies, but the self-portraits he shares are far from what many might expect of a teenager. Najem's face takes up just a small portion of the screen - the rest shows exploding bombs, falling buildings, and the cries of pain, anger and frustration that have been the norm in Syria since its civil war began in 2011.

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Social media

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Social media has become a lifeline for Gen Z and Millennials-so which platforms are their favorites now? We asked...

There's little doubt that social media has never been as important to young consumers as it is now. Stuck at home and separated from friends, they're more reliant on social networks than ever before to connect them, distract them, and comfort them. While the negative impacts of social media on Gen Z and Millennials were much debated pre-pandemic, they have clearly been a resource for young consumers dealing with massive change and isolation. According to our exclusive survey on COVID-19's impacts on these generations, 82% of 13-39-year-olds are relying on technology and social media to stay close with friends and family during this time.

And their social media use has been changed. In our recent survey on social media use, we found that Millennials are spending a self-reported five hours a day on social platforms, and Gen Z is spending closer to six. The majority of both groups say that their social media use has been changed in some way, with half saying they're checking their feeds more often. Their engagement is up-though we found that it's not up on all platforms. In fact, daily use of some of the biggest social apps has decreased, while once smaller players steal up time and attention. To find out what platforms they're enjoying the most now-which will certainly influence which they continue to use more going forward-we asked young consumers "What's your favorite social media platform to use during the quarantine?" These are their top responses-revealing the tectonic and lasting shift that the COVID crisis has created for social:

Do you see that shift that we were referring to? All over the world, cooped up Gen Z teens are flocking to TikTok-and this data shows they're not alone. TikTok is now a top favorite platform not just among Gen Z teens, but among all age groups of young consumers. According to DataTrek Research, it's seen the biggest surge on Google search in the last 90 days over social networks like Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter.

Our data shows that while other platforms' use has remained steady or even fallen (thanks to the rise of niche networks and new video chat competitors) TikTok's has skyrocketed in the last few months. Currently, 52% of 13-18-year-olds are using TikTok, and increase from 35% in February of this year. The growth has been massive among younger Millennials as well, with 45% of 18-24-year-olds now using the platform, compared to 22% in February. In fact, TikTok ranks even higher as a favorite among this group. Now, with unemployed young service workers and bored teens alike joining the app to escape, it's become, according to The Guardian, the "perfect platform to ride out the pandemic."

Of course, it's not number one for any group-yet. Instead, Instagram sits comfortably at the top for both 13-18-year-olds and 19-25-year-olds, and Facebook still has a strong hold on older Millennials. (In fact, if we were to show an overall ranking, Facebook would be at the top thanks to the sheer number of 25-37-year-olds who say it's their favorite). YouTube also outranks TikTok among both Gen Z teens and older Millennials. Back in February, when we asked young consumers to tell us how they felt about some of the top social platforms, both Gen Z and Millennials were most likely to name YouTube as entertaining, and they've been relying on the platform during quarantine: watching YouTube videos is actually their top leisure activity, according to our data. According to a survey from the Channel Factory, 80% of consumers go to YouTube to improve their mood while they're in quarantine-continuing the Content Cure trend we explored pre-pandemic.

The social media trends that have started thanks to quarantines will undoubtedly continue to impact social media use going forward. Video-first platforms are winning out among young consumers who not only look to social apps for connection, but for that entertainment and mood-boosting content they very much need, not just right now, but for the foreseeable future.

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Gen Z & Millennials' 5 Favorite Social Media Platforms Now - YPulse

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There's little doubt that social media has never been as important to young consumers as it is now. Stuck at home and separated from friends, they're more reliant on social networks than ever before to connect them, distract them, and comfort them.

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love for tik tok

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Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard

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You're in a meeting with your boss when it happens. Your breathing starts to quicken. Goosebumps appear on your arms. A bead of sweat drips down your forehead. You know it's coming. Your boss is about to ask you how to market to Generation Z.

The mere mention of this group of 2.1 billion individuals born between 1995 and 2010 sends shivers up your spine.

You know Generation Z is a huge group with spending power of over $143 billion in the United States alone. But how do you start marketing to them?

What do they like?

How do they talk?

What actually matters to them?

These are big questions. And the answers will help you do more than just market to Gen Z. They'll help you create valuable relationships and prepare your business for the future.

Here's what you need to know if you want to make meaningful connections with the next most important generation on the market.

Download the full Social Trends report to get an in-depth analysis of the data you need to inform your social strategy in 2021.

Everything you need to know about Generation Z

They value individual expression

The phrase 'be yourself' has never rung as true as with Gen Z. The act of buying products or services isn't necessarily about fitting in with trends or 'what's cool.' It's about expressing individual identity.

"Generation Z is not only eager for more personalized products but also willing to pay a premium for products that highlight their individuality," research from global consulting firm McKinsey and Company finds. In fact, 58% of those surveyed said they're willing to pay more for products and services that highlight their individual personalities.

The same research finds that Gen Z wants brands to align with their personal values and beliefs.

They're protective of their privacy

Gen Zers crave hyper-personal experiences on social media, but they're also keen to protect their privacy. They're also more inclined to cover the webcam on their laptops.

Marketers need to make sure they connect with Gen Zers on their own terms so that they don't come across as creepy or too invasive.

Less than one-third of teens say they are comfortable sharing personal details other than contact information and purchase history, according to IBM's survey Uniquely Gen Z. But 61% would feel better sharing personal information with brands if they could trust it was being securely stored and protected.

They put their money where their values are

Generation Z isn't content to simply post about causes they believe in. They're putting their money where their beliefs are and voting with their dollars.

"This generation often puts aside its differences and rallies around causes that will benefit the greater good," research by Facebook explains. "Gen Z expects brands to do the same-to live their own values and to offer value. In fact, 68% of Gen Zers expect brands to contribute to society."

61% of Gen Z also says they'd pay more for products or services that are produced in an ethical and sustainable way.

This isn't just an empty declaration. "In the past year, 91% of Gen Z experienced one or more emotional or physiological stress-related symptoms," psychology professor B. Janet Hibbs, PhD, shares with Refinery29, citing an October 2018 report from the American Psychological Association.

Among other things, Gen Z is most concerned about climate change.

Brands are slowly realizing they can no longer get away with lackluster or non-existent environmental and ethical commitments. If brands want to appeal to Gen Z (and the greater good) they need to ensure their ethics align with this progressive generation.

If your business doesn't know where to start, look at Patagonia, Reformation, or any of the brands featured on conscious consumer site The Good Trade.

They value diversity and equality

Due to the increased level of mobilization made possible by technology, Gen Z doesn't distinguish between friends they have "in real life" and friends they have on the internet. While this might seem like a parent's worst nightmare, there's actually a nice reason for it.

"Gen Zers value online communities because they allow people of different economic circumstances to connect and mobilize around causes and interests," research from McKinsey finds.

"66% of surveyed Gen Zers believe that communities are created by causes and interests, not by economic backgrounds or educational levels."

This is number is way bigger than the ones reported by baby boomers, Gen Xers, and even millennials.

When it comes to gender equality, 77% of Gen Z say they feel more positively towards a brand when it promotes equality on social media. 71% said they'd like to see more diversity in advertising.

That doesn't mean you can just throw a person of color or LGBTQ couple in one of your Instagram posts or Facebook ads. "If a brand advertises diversity but lacks diversity within its own ranks, for example, that contradiction will be noticed," McKinsey and Company explains.

Seems like lazy marketing and business practices have finally met their match in Gen Z.

They're smart. Like, really smart.

Generation Z are the essential digital natives. They don't know a world without the internet, so they know how to use it better than anyone else.

Thanks to this digital-savviness, they' make highly-informed decisions. According to McKinsey, "they're more pragmatic and analytical about their decisions than members of previous generations were."

Before buying anything, Gen Z expects to access and evaluate information, reviews, and their own research.

McKinsey finds that " 65% of Gen Zers said they particularly value knowing what is going on around them and being in control. They're more comfortable absorbing knowledge online than in traditional institutions of learning."

Marketers need to ensure that information about their company is transparent and readily available online. You'll also want to make sure that information shines an honest, but positive, light on your business.

Keep tabs on what others are saying about your organization with our guide to social media sentiment analysis.

They trust friends and family over anyone else

You might want to take another look at your influencer budget.

While Morning Consult's recent Influencer Report found that 52% of Gen Z trusts influencers they follow on social media for advice about products or brands, a whopping 82% trust their friends and family over any other source.

When it comes to the influencers they do trust, male Gen Zers are most likely to follow them on YouTube. Female Gen Zers most often follow influencers on Instagram.

Pro tip: the second most trusted resource for Generation Z is product reviews on Amazon or similar sites. Leverage this knowledge by regularly posting genuine positive reviews from real customers to your social media accounts.

Do NOT write fake reviews or have your employees write faux reviews. These will always catch up with you and the negative fallout from this kind of scandal will irrevocably damage your reputation, not to mention the loss of your customers' trust.

They prefer mobile

According to Global Web Index's 2019 report on Gen Z, this age group greatly prefers the on-the-go convenience of their mobile devices over PCs and even laptops.

Whether accessing social networks, chatting, watching videos, or looking at maps, Gen Z is most likely doing it on their mobile devices.

As you can see, this doesn't mean that they've completely abandoned PCs and laptops, just that those are a less popular option overall.

They embrace the second-screen lifestyle

Global Web Index found that 95% of Gen Zers said they were using another device while watching TV, particularly mobiles.

What are they doing, exactly? More than 70% say they're talking to their friends or social networking. However, only 35% are actually chatting or accessing content related to what their watching. Armed with this information, marketers can look to target Gen Z on multiple platforms and devices at all times.

Read our guide on how to make the most of the second screen social trend.

They use different networks for each stage of their shopping journey

Market research shows that 85% of Generation Z learns about new products on social media.

They are also 59% more likely than older generations to connect with brands on social, too.
Instagram is the most popular app for brand discovery, with 45% of teens using it to find cool new products, followed by Facebook, which comes in at 40%. Before making a purchase, Gen Zers are two times more likely than Millennials to turn to YouTube.

YouTube is also the platform of preference when it comes to shopping recommendations, ranking first among Generation Z with 24%, followed by Instagram at 17% and Facebook at 16%.

Meanwhile, in real brick-and-mortar stores, teens are most likely to turn to Snapchat to document their shopping experiences.

Understanding how teens use social media throughout their shopping process is key to engaging them on the right platforms with the right message.

They're not afraid to buy things online

While older consumers still have some hesitations about sharing their credit card and personal or financial information online, Gen Z isn't as phased.

72% of Gen Zers have bought something online in the last month, with 6 out of 10 making purchases on their mobile devices.

What are they buying, you may ask? Global Web Index finds that Gen Z is much more interested in spending money on experiences like concert tickets and other entertainment, technology, and fashion.

They're (mostly) happy to see you

Generation Z isn't bothered by branded content. In fact, most of them welcome it.

"Gen Z is happy to have content from their favorite brands appear in their newsfeeds," Global Web Index shares. "4 in 10 are following brands they like on social media, with 1 in 3 following the brands they are thinking of buying from."

Before you go blasting your social media content and ads out to everyone, you need to know your audience.

Make sure you're targeting people who could actually find value in your product or service, and focus on attracting their attention.

Not sure where to start? Check out our guide to social ad targeting for a comprehensive resource on converting your Gen Z audience.

They love Tik Tok

Tik Tok, the short video creation and sharing app, has taken the world by storm. While it was once basically a shared amongst teens, it's now hit the mainstream.

Late Night show hosts share Tik Tok content on their programs. Instagram meme accounts are dedicated to simply reposting popular Tik Toks. And many social media accounts are gathering content and inspiration from the addictive app.

Based on the way trends and media flow, it's no wonder that Tik Tok is especially popular with teenagers. More than 41% of Tik Tok users are between 16 and 24 years old. And we bet that 100% of them are cooler than us.

While you never want your brand to have a ' how do you do, fellow kids? ' moment, there are ways businesses and organizations can authentically use the platform. If your brand voice is more playful or irreverent, Tik Tok could be the perfect place to create and share content.

Collaborate with Tik Tok influencers, post content using a branded hashtag, or participate in one of the countless Tik Tok challenges, as long as it aligns with your brand.

Now that you know these key statistics and facts about Generation Z, you're equipped to not only reach them with your marketing, but to make a lasting impact.

Remember: you're not just looking to create valuable relationships with them at this point in their lives, but as they grow and age. You haven't seen the last of Gen Z.
Connect with Generation Z using Hootsuite. From a single dashboard you can easily manage all your social channels, collect real-time data, and engage with your audience across networks. Try it free today. Get Started

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Generation Z: Everything Social Marketers Need to Know

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You're in a meeting with your boss when it happens. Your breathing starts to quicken. Goosebumps appear on your arms. A bead of sweat drips down your forehead. You know it's coming. Your boss is about to ask you how to market to Generation Z.

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economic status

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By Mary Hanbury

Generation Z's approach to brands is part of what sets it apart from previous generations.

When deciding where to shop, their primary motivator is price, according to a Business Insider survey of more than 1,800 Gen Zers.

Since they frequently document their life on social media, they feel a pressure to always have new clothes. That is fueling growth in unconventional forms of shopping, like rental and resale.

Being unique - and balancing that with saving money - is a defining trait of this generation.

Amanda Chernin, age 20, from Delray Beach, Florida, says she shops online almost every day.

She is not loyal to any one brand or store. Instead, she shops wherever is most affordable. She rarely goes to a physical store to try clothes on, and if she ends up not liking a piece she buys, she resells it online.

"Older generations grew up without this technology and being able to shop online," she said. "I literally order something online every day."

While Chernin's approach to shopping might still be alien to some consumers, she is an example of a Generation Z consumer. She is part of the first truly digital generation, which has grown up cradling a smartphone and has never known a time without the internet and social media.

For the past decade, brands have scrambled to serve millennials, the first internet-obsessed generation that's been blamed for killing dozens of industries and forcing retailers to rethink their online-selling strategies.

Now, brands are bracing themselves for the next wave of shoppers, between the ages of 13 and 21, who are gearing up to enter the workforce and become a formidable force in the economy.

Experts say that Gen Z will not be an extension of the previous generation and should not be thought of as millennials 2.0, but instead as a distinct set of people with unique experiences, beliefs, and behaviors. This generation, they say, will fuel a massive change in how people shop.

They don't want to pay full price for anything

Gen Z is thrifty above all, experts say.

"They are very fiscally pragmatic and practical with their money. They are looking for value," Jason Dorsey, a Gen Z consultant and researcher who delivered a TEDx Talk about this generation, told Business Insider.

Dorsey said that value can be achieved in two ways: by shopping for clothing from brands that already have low prices, or by buying more expensive things that last longer.

"I can't afford nicer brands of clothes," Chernin said. "I like to save and would rather have money in the bank than be broke."

"Older generations grew up without this technology and being able to shop online. I literally order something online every day."
Amanda Chernin

Tanner Frick, 21, majors in business at the University of Sioux Falls, in South Dakota. He's a self-described "brand freak" and says he shops at Nike, Lululemon, and Patagonia. "I trust them more," he said, referring to these brands and the warranties they offer.

Patagonia, for example, has an unlimited returns policy on unworn items and offers a repair service for worn clothing.

"In the end it's worth it," he said, referring to Patagonia's relatively high prices. The outdoors retailer sells men's vests that range from $80 to $200 and jackets that cost up to $280.

For others, low prices are more important. This was evident in Business Insider's recent survey of 1,884 Americans between the ages of 13 and 21. This national poll was conducted with SurveyMonkey Audience partner Cint on behalf of Business Insider and ran January 11-14.

When asked what was the biggest factor when deciding whether to purchase items from a particular brand, 60% of respondents said price.

"They don't want to pay full price for anything," Dorsey said, adding that these spending habits were likely passed down to Gen Z by their parents and teachers, who were shaped by the recession.

The median-age Gen Z shopper, currently 17, would have been 6 when the financial crisis began, in 2008. While they were not in the workforce yet, they were old enough to remember it and see how their parents and older friends struggled, Dorsey said.

An obsession with price instantly makes them less loyal to brands.

"There really isn't loyalty like in the past," Marcie Merriman, the executive director for growth strategy and retail innovations at Ernst & Young, told Business Insider.

They "are highly informed and want to take charge of their lives and their futures," Merriman wrote in a recent EY report about Gen Z. "Getting these consumers to be loyal to your brick-and-mortar will be more challenging than ever."

Taryn Merari, 19, a design major at New York's School of Visual Arts, told Business Insider that she rarely shops by brand. She is almost always led by price.

She shops, she said, by the mantra "'What clothes do I need?'"

"If I need leggings, I look for leggings by color or by texture." This way she can get the best deal and the best quality.

Getting a Gen Zer to be loyal to a brand is nearly impossible. Brands need to work extra hard to earn their trust.

Members of Gen Z have largely been made skeptical by their ability to verify almost anything online.

For this reason, experts say that Gen Zers value transparency and authenticity in the brands that they shop from, and retailers are gradually responding to this idea.

Younger brands such as Everlane and Toms have led the charge, but increasingly legacy brands such as American Eagle Outfitters are shifting to offer greater transparency in their products and marketing.

Aerie, American Eagle's lifestyle and underwear brand, is a good example of this. It was applauded by customers for its decision to ban any photo retouching in its ads in 2014. And this has shown up in its financials: In early June, the company reported earnings for the first quarter of 2019. Same-store sales at Aerie were up 14% during the quarter, which marked its 18th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth.

Meanwhile, competitors such as Victoria's Secret, which has been more resistant to changes in branding, have suffered. Same-store sales of the Victoria's Secret brand were down 5% for the first quarter.

Anya Ortakales, 17, a high-school senior at Kearsarge Regional High School, in New Hampshire, compared Aerie and Victoria's Secret to show just how important the brand's message is in her decision to shop there.

"It's very important to show that anyone can buy stuff like that and look good in it," she said, referring to Aerie's undoctored images and the "real women" it features in its ad campaigns.

"It makes me feel better about buying from Aerie and supporting them," she said.

Chad Kessler, global brand president at American Eagle, recently expressed his excitement about Gen Z becoming Aerie's target shopper.

"Gen Z wants to support and participate in brands that they believe in and that reflect them," he told Business Insider. "They are loyal to brands that they feel understand them and reflect their values. We have always been a brand that stands for inclusivity, diversity, and youth empowerment, and I think that resonates with this customer."

But there is no guarantee that these shoppers will stay loyal, experts say. Gen Z is more fickle than previous generations, and if brands are slow to engage or if they break their promises, these young shoppers will move on.

They also do not use brands to define their identity like past generations may have done.

"The rules of dress when millennials were younger and the ways that they determined the appropriate things to wear were about the brand and what the brand was. As long as they were in the right brand, they felt confident," Merriman said. "That brand represented more of who they were, and it made them feel safer or more secure in their decisions."

Merriman said that the reverse is happening now. Gen Z is creating its own personal brand.

"It's not the brand leading the consumer; it's the consumer using the brand or the product in whatever ways they want," she said. This is partly driven by the influencer community, she added. Traditionally, a brand image was determined by the company and how it chose to market it.

Now, a brand image is increasingly about how it is perceived and marketed by the influencer who wears it.

Living life in pictures means you need a lot of outfits

Gen Z may be more sustainability-minded than previous generations, but they also face constant pressure to wear new items given that they are likely to be the most photographed generation.

In the past, this would have been easily remedied by fast fashion, and for many it likely still is. Fast fashion that is created cheaply and discarded quickly contributes to waste, however. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, 26 billion pounds of textiles end up in a landfill each year. Shoppers with an eye on sustainability and who also want to wear unique clothes have given rise to nontraditional modes of shopping such as rental and resale or thrift.

Rent the Runway, which was recently valued at $1 billion in a $125 million round of new funding, is paving the way in clothing rental. Its core subscription service, targeted at an older demographic - women in the workforce - plays into the hands of customers who not only crave newness but are more conscious about sustainable living and preserving the environment. This positions it well to appeal to Gen Z shoppers in the future.

"There are kids at school who think it's stupid to shop at American Eagle because then you all end up with the same clothes. They go to the smallest stores they can find, that they know no one else is shopping at, so they know they have something different."
Anya Ortakales

"Gen Z lives their life in the cloud - their content, entertainment, and music all exist in the cloud with unlimited choice," Rent the Runway CEO Jennifer Hyman told Business Insider. "We are offering them the exact same thing for their physical lives."

Hyman said that Gen Z is one of the first groups to adopt this new style of shopping and to feel that it is the norm.

Legacy brands have adopted similar services. Express recently launched its Express Style Trial service, which allows consumers to rent up to three items at any given time for a monthly fee.

And in March, American Eagle launched a near-identical clothing-rental subscription model known as American Eagle Style Drop.

For $50 a month, members can rent up to three items at a time and make an unlimited number of exchanges. The shipping costs are covered each way, and dry cleaning is free. If customers decide they like a piece, they can purchase it at a discount of 25% or more.

"There is a trend toward clothes having a second life or being used again," Kessler said. "This is part of their focus on quality, value, and thoughtful purchasing, and I think these [rental services] are just different ways for them to participate."

Gen Z is thrift-shopping for the same reasons. Online resale site ThredUp recently estimated that one in three Gen Z consumers will buy used clothing in 2019.

"There is an obsession with freshness," Karen Clark, the vice president of marketing communications at ThredUp, told Business Insider, adding that the company posts 1,000 new items online every hour.

"They want to flip their wardrobe, but they want to do that without doing damage to the environment," she said.

Chernin, for her part, turns to Poshmark when she wants to sell a piece of clothing she no longer likes or has use for. Poshmark, which allows users to list and sell their own clothes, is said to be preparing to file for an IPO later this year, The Wall Street Journal reported in April.

Jessica Pruitt, an associate manager of marketing at Buffalo Exchange - a thrift store that buys and sells used clothing at 49 stores across the US - told Business Insider that the store has seen an uptick in Gen Z shoppers as the stigma around resale fades.

Secondhand shopping also affords Gen Z the chance to dress in unique ways. They use thrift to build their own identity and create their own story, Lennox Thomas, Goodwill NYNJ's executive vice president for retail operations, told Business Insider.

Ortakales has found that some of her classmates have become so "obsessed" with creating a look that "sets them apart" that being unique has become a trend in and of itself.

"There are kids at school who think it's stupid to shop at American Eagle because then you all end up with the same clothes. They go to the smallest stores they can find, that they know no one else is shopping at, so they know they have something different," she said.

Ortakales said she believes that this desire to be unique stems from the important societal and cultural changes that have occurred during this generation's upbringing, which has made them more accepting of diversity.

"My generation is so focused on accepting people that are different that there's this mindset that if you do want to follow what other people are doing, it's frowned upon," she said. "We are trying so hard to make sure everyone feels included and accept everyone, so you have to be different to be involved in that."

Reporting by Mary Hanbury
Editing by Madeline Stone, Cadie Thompson, Matt Turner, and Alyson Shontell
Design by Samantha Lee and Skye Gould
Photography by Hollis Johnson
Graphics by Shayanne Gal

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Gen Z is leading an evolution in shopping that could kill brands as we know them

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Generation Z's approach to brands is part of what sets it apart from other generations. When deciding where to shop, their primary motivator is price.

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Yungblud

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Most of Gen Z & Millennials' Top 20 Hobbies Are Offline

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Of course, not all of their declared hobbies are active, and older generations might question some of them-especially TV/Netflix, which comes in the top 10 on the ranking. We probably shouldn't tell them that "watching videos on YouTube" was also named as a hobby by more than one respondent, as was "social media".

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Urban Outfitters are a direct competitor with their in house brand iets frans...
They sell unisex clothing inspired by streetwear which resembles that of Collusion.
The price point of UO is higher than ASOS Design and so if we match the product and unisex ranges, with our lower price point we can take their customers.

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Photos via Urban Outfitters

Like most of her friends, Beth became aware of hyper-colourful street and sportswear brand iets frans... a couple of years ago. The 23-year-old masters student lives in Glasgow and had clocked the logo - a bold, lowercase font, sometimes in a rainbow range of colours - on a range of loose-fitting hoodies and tees in global high street trend shop Urban Outfitters. "Everyone jumped on it - whether buying from the shop, or second hand on Depop," she says. "We were like 'Have you seen this new brand that's come out???'" And she's not alone.

The Urban-owned brand has only been around since 2017. You'd be forgiven for assuming it's a stand-alone streetwear fashion house, arranged on a typical UO shop display alongside Adidas trackie tops and Nike trainers. But iets frans... deftly traces the outlines of late 2010s high-end casualwear while pushing down the cost for high street kids - it's essentially a cut-price take on Virgil Abloh's Off-White. No single stereotype can totally group together all of the sorts of teens and twentysomethings who wear it. They may take ketamine, for example, but also aren't so left-field that you'd spot them huffing paint for Satan at a "charity event". They're style-conscious, but careful too never look too polished - a Venn diagram crossover between Depop students and nu-jazz lads alike.

So how did iets frans... get to its current popularity point? For starters, it relied on presence. It's inherently boosted by its in-house placement at a huge multinational corporation like Urban Outfitters. The logo is plastered on a big portion of the sweatshirts and joggers currently on sale in Urban's 43 UK stores. In a big market with big brands, it managed to gain a foothold in the 'teen who wears chunky trainers' market by blurring a line between knockoff, throwback and just the lightest touch of novelty.

The brand's origins lie in Europe. Specifically, in the styling you see in cult classic French film . "We were referencing the styling of the main characters in that film," says Michael Taylor, menswear buying director at Urban Outfitters Europe and Asia.. "It was Parisian street culture: sportswear mixed with functional workwear."

In practice, this is a range of technical-leaning sportswear and streetwear. There are vests, track tops, long sleeves at moderately affordable prices; lightly washed mauve tone skate hoodies (£42) and over-dyed joggers in a pastel colours (£35). A quick glance at what's on offer makes it clear why iets frans... has grown massively over the past year or so. Many of its items closely resemble ones from lucrative name brands. Its women's underwear shares a similar elasticated band logo design with Calvin Klein's classic triangle bra and pants; an iets frans... canvas belt design is near-identical to another first made by Off-White.

"They're a cheaper alternative to Fila and Adidas," says Beth, who owns a pair of trousers and a scarf, plus a jacket she later sold on Depop. "The appeal is that they have basic items and styles but current." She touches on a major selling point for the brand: their clothes look older than they are, leaning on derivative 90s lines, but still feel new.

That name is a sticking point, though. Pronounced ' eeyets franz', it's Dutch for "something French" - a hint at the La Haine influence. Tim, 27, stopped wearing the brand as soon as he learned what it meant. "Wearing words that you don't understand is generally a stupid move and one I try to avoid - but when when those words transpire to mean something really stupid it's considerably worse than that."

Beth agrees. "Before I found out it was Dutch for 'something French' I thought it was cool."

And yet, despite the slightly bizarre name, iets frans... shows no sign of slowing down. It fits into the Urban Outfitters loose mission - one described by Michael as "getting something old with a modern take on it". You see that stamped all over their current range of tracksuit bottoms dyed colours that look as though they were once bright but have been through hundreds of rounds in the wash.

iets franks... doesn't stray far from the design deployed by brands like Palace and Nike ACG. And that means unsuspecting customers believe they're getting in on a new brand - a clever move on Urban's part. "For ages I thought it was its own brand - I assumed it was a streetwear brand," says 18-year-old Sasha, who owns an iets frans... belt. "If something seems like it's fairly obviously owned by the shop it puts me off, but I didn't realise." That alone speaks volumes. iets frans... have successfully muscled into an already saturated market and subverted the importance of 'brand values', all savvily hinged on a loosely 90s feel. It is "something French", in a country leaving the EU.

Me though? I simply can't get past the name, and the way it's often repeated. The two words haunt me, popping up in shop windows, on socks, on my friends; not really in my dreams, nor my nightmares, but there - omnipresent. It seems they are destined to appear on every pastel-coloured item that I pick up in their store. It's like a weird mantra I never asked for, going around in my head and in front of my eyes, forever: iets frans... iets frans... iets frans...

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What Is iets frans... Clothing, What Does It Mean and Who Owns It?

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Photos via Urban Outfitters Like most of her friends, Beth became aware of hyper-colourful street and sportswear brand iets frans... a couple of years ago. The 23-year-old masters student lives in Glasgow and had clocked the logo - a bold, lowercase font, sometimes in a rainbow range of colours - on a range of loose-fitting hoodies and tees in global high street trend shop Urban Outfitters.

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When Asos reported its first-half results a couple of weeks ago it offered a glowing report for its still-new Collusion line. The label had launched last year and the company said it was its most successful launch ever.

So it's no surprise that the fashion e-tail giant is putting more support behind it this year and the 2019 offer sees it repeating-but-evolving its 2018 strategy with a whole new set of youth collaborators.

And on the marketing front, while the debut offer came with a film featuring 100 18-year-olds, this time the marketing campaign seems to have a closer focus on a smaller number of individuals.

The campaign featuring its new brand 'collaborators' launches this week, on April 23. The key thrust of this sees Collusion partnering with female-led online community radio station foundation.fm for four weeks of live shows with the collaborators, who are made up of a group of articulate, activist and engaged 17-22 year-olds.

And they won't really be talking about fashion (nothing quite so outdated). Instead, the aim is to discuss topics such as "gender identity, the pressures of social media, female representation in the tech industry and coming-of-age in the modern era."

In case you didn't know, Collusion is a gender-fluid line that was co-created with a revolving group of students, stylists, activists, image-makers, authors and YouTubers. These collaborators were seen as being crucial to getting into the mindset of the youth consumer, hence the collaborator concept continuing and being regularly refreshed with new faces.

The seven young people who make up the new collaborator 'board of directors' were fairly quietly brought together last month, but they'll now be at the forefront of a major publicity drive for the label to move it into its first full year of trading.

Its foundation.fm link-up starts with Collusion's Oscar O'Sullivan (a film-making student who was one of the 100 18-year-olds who starred in the brand's debut film last October) joining host Zooey for the station's Queer Island Discs. They'll discuss finding their gender identity and sense of community in 2019. O'Sullivan will also bring four of his favourite tracks that will play in between the discussion.

A week later, host Kesang will be joined by the brand's Laila Katumba (a singer and computer scientist) and vlogger Antonia Jade to discuss female representation in the tech industry and growing up in the social media age, as part of the radio station's Forward Slash series.

Seven days after that, there's more of a clear focus on the label itself with radio host Kamilla talking to Collusion's Nadia Ahmed (an 18-year-old singer), plus student and diversity campaigner Yomi Olufidipe and vegan A-level student Lilly Thompson, about what Collusion means to them. They'll also discuss "how the label has helped shape their careers and social media persona."

Then the last part of the takeover on May 14 sees Collusion's Hannah Alkindi, who thinks "fashion and politics go hand-in-hand", featuring in Foundation's Future Girl Corp series, focusing on female empowerment and giving women the skills to start their own businesses.

It's an interesting approach for a brand that has promised to evolve continuously and one that could very easily have gone down like a damp squib. But Asos appears to have done its homework with this label, with the result that it's been a hit for the company.

In its results report, it said the label sold 1.5 million units during the first half and this number made it a "top 10 brand" for the e-tailer. It added that its full price sell-through was above the group average and that within the UK, Collusion was the most searched brand on Asos.

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Asos launches new campaign for Collusion, focus on 2019's creative collaborators

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News business : Asos has seen major success with its Collusion line and is kicking off its next phase with a new set of collaborators and a series of radio shows where they talk about themselves and their lives rather than fashion. (#1091564)

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The fashion industry is "incredibly wasteful and harmful to the environment." That is the message that designer Stella McCartney, and an increasing number of other brands, have taken to addressing. Given its focus on fast, cheap, and trend-specific fashion that is essentially meant to be disposable, fashion industry often gets a bad rap for it the damage it does to the environment. From growing cotton to manufacturing textiles, water is an essential component. We take a look at the relationship between fashion manufacturing and H20 ...

20 percent - The average amount of global industrial water pollution that can be tied to garment manufacturing. ( World Resources Institute).

25 - The number of recycled plastic bottles (reclaimed from the ocean) that activewear brand Girlfriend Collective uses to make each pair of its leggings. (TFL).

85 percent - The percentage of water used in textile processing that goes into dying the fabrics, which, in many cases, leads to run off, thereby polluting nearby water sources. (Cotton, Inc.).

715 gallons - How much water it takes to produce the cotton needed for one t-shirt - that is almost three years' worth of drinking water. ( WWF).

1,468 gallons - The average amount of water that Reformation saves per pair of its eco-friendly denim. ( TFL).

1,800 gallons - The approximate amount of gallons of water to grow enough cotton to produce just one pair jeans. ( Tree Hugger).

1,900 - The number of individual fibers that can be rinsed off a single synthetic garment (namely, one made from polyester) and end up in our oceans. ( The Guardian).

100,000 - The number of pairs of jeans that Levi recently manufactured with one of its Chinese suppliers using 100 percent recycled water. ( Levis).

1 million - The number of pairs of sneakers made from reclaimed ocean plastic that adidas sold in 2017. Each pair of shoes reuses 11 plastic bottles. ( CNBC)

25 billion gallons -The water required for one year's worth of global textile production (including cotton farming). ( Elle MacArthur Foundation).

1.3 trillion gallons - The amount of water used each year for fabric dyeing alone. ( World Resources Institute).

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How Many Gallons of Water Does it Take to Make a Single Pair of Jeans? | The Fashion Law

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The fashion industry is "incredibly wasteful and harmful to the environment." That is the message that designer Stella McCartney, and an increasing number of other brands, have taken to addressing. Given its focus on fast, cheap, and trend-specific fashion that is essentially meant to be disposable, fashion industry often - and rightfully - gets a bad rap for it the damage it does to the environment.

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I have outlined my range plan with desired margin and planned OTB. The ROS appears to be high but with just an online store, the ROS reflects the units needed and online retailer ASOS being successful.
I was debating whether to allow the buying cycle to stop at 8 weeks but with the space online not being an issue, i opted for 12.

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CEO Nick Beighton said: “We grew sales by 14% despite a more competitive market. Asos is capable of a lot more. We have identified several things we can do better and are taking action accordingly. We are confident of an improved performance in the second half and are not changing our guidance for the year.

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ASOS decided to introduce a system where they would lock the accounts of certain customers who were suspected of wearing clothes and returning them. This received some bad press as some customers claimed their accounts were being banned for no reason and so they lost customers. Whilst this is a smart move to combat serial returners, this ay have alienated certain customers who like to bulk buy to return for reasons such as inconsistent sizing or planning of an event.

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Asos announced it would start investigating and deactivating accounts if it suspected a customer was wearing items "out and about" and then returning them, or returning "way, waaay more than even the most loyal Asos customer".

But just a week later, numerous customers are already reporting that their accounts are being deactivated without warning, with many left confused about why they've been targeted and struggling to get explanations from Asos's customer service.

While Asos is still yet to define how it determines if a customer has worn items, or how many returns it would deem to be too many, it says the new rules are unlikely to affect the majority of its 19 million customers.

Remember, if you're making a purchase from Asos, your usual legal return rights DO still apply.
For full help on what you can and can't do when ordering online, check our Consumer Rights guide.

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Confused customers hit with Asos ban under new returns rules

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Asos announced it would start investigating and deactivating accounts if it suspected a customer was wearing items "out and about" and then returning them, or returning "way, waaay more than even the most loyal Asos customer".

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Weaknesses

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The retailer said that it will be monitoring customers who continually buy and return clothing, with the view to deactivate the accounts of those it deems to be 'serial returners'.

Asos also increased its returns policy from 25 to 45 days. After the 25-day point, however, customers will receive a gift voucher for the amount spent rather than their money back.

How are returns impacting retailers?

It isn't only Asos that is feeling the impact of returns. In May 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon had begun closing the accounts of customers who 'request too many refunds'. A Brightpearl survey of 200 retail executives found that two-thirds of respondents were willing to follow Amazon's example and do the same.

The damage for retailers is certainly significant. Online returns are predicted to cost UK retailers £20 billion a year. What's more, Apriss reports that merchandise returns account for nearly $369 billion in lost sales for US retailers.

So, why are consumers returning quite so much? Interestingly, while returns have always been an important (and expected) part of the retail process, trends in consumer behaviour appear to be making the situation worse. A Rebound study (of 2,000 UK consumers) found that one in ten respondents admit to 'wardrobing' - a term that denotes buying an item with the sole intention of wearing it once and returning it again. The percentage of respondents doing this rises to one in five for the 25 to 34 age bracket.

It also appears that social media is fuelling this new returns culture. A 2018 Barclaycard study delved into the ' snap and send back phenomenon ', revealing that almost one in ten consumers admit to buying clothes so they can post photos of themselves wearing a new outfit on social media, and then returning it to get their money back.

ASOS is changing its return policy and has clocked all the YouTubers doing hauls each week and returning everything pic.twitter.com/30Icwm7gnl

- Meg (@MegVClark) April 4, 2019

What does Asos' new returns policy mean for ecommerce?

To get more of an idea about how changes to Asos returns policy will impact both the retailer and its customers, as well as the potential wider impact on the ecommerce industry, we asked a range of experts for their opinion.

James Gurd, Founder at Digital Juggler: "The cost of returns has become a major problem for retailers, as online shoppers order and return more, either in terms of complete order returns or single and multiple item returns from a larger order.

"What's troubling for retailers is the spike in intentional returns, i.e. people have deliberately over-ordered, fully intending to return one or more items. This is common in fashion ecommerce where people buy multiple sizes and return those that don't fit, or multiple colours and only keep the preferred variant.

"Something has to give. Retailers need to turn a profit, and shareholder driven companies need to maximise shareholder value. If the discounting model persists and it's harder and harder to drive full price transactions, the next logical path of attack to maintain a sustainable business model is to reduce cost pressure."

Returns can be positive for retailers

Dan Barker, freelance ecommerce and marketing consultant: "Some customers habitually return - perhaps they enjoy trying on different items; or perhaps they are more particular about size/fit etc.

"In many cases this is actually a good thing. A high spending, repeat customer, who returns a fair proportion of the merchandise they buy but also keeps a decent amount is likely better for most businesses than someone who buys once or twice a year. In other cases, perhaps not. If a customer becomes 'net negative' by costing more in delivery/returns costs than they have contributed to your business in profit, it's a little more difficult.

"Some companies manage this by doing things such as opening up sales to VIP customers earlier (i.e. increasing the chance that merchandise sells to someone who may keep it, before customers with higher returns profiles browse). If you were very sophisticated, you could also balance this by matching recommendations of slightly higher returning merchandise with very low returning customers.

"Some are also a little more heavy handed - giving warnings to some customers, or blocking particular payment methods, or charging admin fees if returns are late - all areas where retailers should tread very carefully to ensure they treat customers fairly."

The risk of unhappy customers

Graham Charlton, Editor at SaleCycle: "Asos has clearly spotted a problem with serial returners, though it's unclear whether the bigger issue is people overbuying before returning unwanted items or those who are wearing and then returning items.

"Since finding the right fit online can be tricky, fashion retailers do tend to have the highest returns rates, and there's no doubt that serial returning is an issue - a Barclaycard survey found that 30% of shoppers deliberately over-purchase.

"There is a risk that making returns harder can make customers less likely to purchase in the first place, or that a stricter policy will mean some unhappy customers. However, if Asos is only targeting a minority of customers who are clearly abusing the returns policy, then it could be a sensible move which reduces costs for the retailer."

James Gurd, Founder at Digital Juggler: "Asos' move isn't a big surprise. It's had performance challenges in the UK for a while and continued discounting pressures through big established events like Black Friday, plus the almost incessant high street sales cycles, lead to reduced margins.

"The announcement simply means that it wants to be here for the long-term, and needs to address the increasing volume and cost of online returns. Returns is a given but ensuring it doesn't become crippling to your business model is a competitive necessity.

"I fully expect more retailers to follow suit, whether directly imitating or putting measures in place to better define when and how a return is permissible."

Ben Davis, Editor of the Econsultancy Blog: " There's research that shows returns have been increasing over the last year for a good proportion of retailers. It makes sense that in times of economic uncertainty consumers are more likely to ask "do I really want this?"

"So Asos likely just hit a tipping point where they realised they had to make a statement to deter the worst, borderline fraudulent, offenders. Though the retailer has talked up universal sizing in the past and uses tools to help shoppers find the right fit, its adoption of Klarna ('buy now, pay later') in late 2017 may well have contributed to the appetite for buying lots of items and sending back any that don't pass muster.

"The increase to 45 days in the returns policy is a way of not only softening the blow to customers who may feel 'seen', but perhaps mitigating losses as those shoppers who may have sneaked in below 28 days for a refund, may make use of the extra buffer, receiving vouchers and increasing Asos' revenue."

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What does ASOS' new returns policy mean for ecommerce? We ask the experts - Econsultancy

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The retailer said that it will be monitoring customers who continually buy and return clothing, with the view to deactivate the accounts of those it deems to be 'serial returners'. Asos also increased its returns policy from 25 to 45 days.

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Opportunities
"Speaking on concessions, it said Collusion has been the most successful brand to ever launch on Asos, selling 1.5million units in the past six months alone."

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(Image: PA)

Online retailer Asos has revealed plans to shake up its concessions network to ramp up profits over the next year.

It comes just a week after the online shop, which specialises in a combination of its own-lines, high street and designer brands, announced a radical overhaul of its refunds policy to strip out serial returners - and offer loyal customers longer to change their minds.

In its annual report, the online department store revealed half year profits have tumbled 87% to £4million - although it said sales have risen to hit the £1.3billion mark. It's now pledged to improve numbers with a host of sweeping changes.

In a statement, the business said it's "continuing to build on new customers through product, presentation and engagement", with influencers and social media, namely Instagram, at the heart of this.

It said over the past year, several categories performed behind expectations suggesting some ranges "were not quite right".

Menswear performance across tailoring, accessories and footwear were weak but it had success with key trends such as oversized tops and animal prints.

In womenswear, 'going out' sales were worse than planned - Asos said it continues to see a decline in lace and embellished dresses.

That's alongside falling transactions in accessories and swimwear - though day dresses, casual bottoms, skirts and jersey top sales were strong.

Announcing its latest plans to drive up profits for the next half of the year, Asos said it's "secured a mix of smaller, fresher up-and-coming brands" to win back shoppers in a shake-up of its current network.

That's after axing around 280 brands and adding over 190 new ones last year.

"Some more established premium brands don't currently appeal to our 20-something customers and we have exited these, onboarding others that resonate better," a statement said.

This has seen the welcoming of Tommy Hilfiger, Aveda, Estee Lauder and Kilian online.

It's also revealed plans to launch H&M-owned & Other Stories online this summer, alongside Opening Ceremony and Margiela MM6.

Speaking on concessions, it said Collusion has been the most successful brand to ever launch on Asos, selling 1.5million units in the past six months alone.

On pricing, it said there are also plans to rethinking price tags to engage better with its 20-something spenders.

The figures come after online fashion group Boohoo saw profits soar over Christmas after shoppers made a beeline for its PrettyLittleThing and Nasty Gal websites - and £6 fashion lines.

UK sales at the Manchester-based group rose by a third to £180million in the last four months of 2018 while total group sales jumped to £328.2million.

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Asos announces huge shake up of brands and clothes after profits take a big hit

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Online retailer Asos has revealed plans to shake up its concessions network to ramp up profits over the next year. It comes just a week after the online shop, which specialises in a combination of its own-lines, high street and designer brands, announced a radical overhaul of its refunds policy to strip out serial returners - and offer loyal customers longer to change their minds.

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Opportunities.
Increase in face and body.

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U.K. fast-fashion retailer Asos is upgrading its beauty offerings and experience over the next year. It's a response to a quarantine-driven boost in beauty sales, as well as to fashion's uncertain future.

Asos launched a beauty and grooming category in 2004, which rebranded as Face and Body in 2017 in order to be genderless. At the time, it sold 110 brands, which accounted for 1% of its global net sales. Now there are approximately 240 brands including The Ordinary, Olaplex and Frank Body, and the category accounts for 5-10% of global net sales, said Alex Scolding, Asos head of buying for Face and Body. Asos' core customers are 16- to 30-year-old shoppers. The retailer has remained a popular destination for beauty in the U.K., as the category remains fragmented there and Sephora and Ulta are not present. According to Asos' 2019 annual report, 12.8% of the company's sales came from the U.S.

On June 29, Asos added Charlotte Tilbury to its site via a three-month digital pop-up; it is the first time Asos is testing out this kind of pop-up strategy. Thirty-five Charlotte Tilbury products are available, predominately makeup and less expensive, travel-size skin care. In addition to sales, Asos will evaluate the increase in new customers, shopping engagement rates, and social listening and buzz. After the pop-up, Asos aims to sell the full Charlotte Tilbury assortment, said Scolding.

"One of the reasons why we trialed with a pop-up concept is to make sure that the customer, who is quite young and [price conscious] can stretch into those luxury price points. But Charlotte Tilbury has already proven that her brand and products are universally loved," she said.

While Asos has historically experienced incremental growth in face and body category sales, coronavirus has accelerated the growth and shifted what customers are purchasing. People are purchasing more nail care, for example, which has grown 800% year-over-year, said Scolding. Global face and body category sales have grown 200% year-over-year. Asos has also adapted to changing trends by adding hair dye and hair removal to its offerings since March.

"Growth in e-commerce will be accelerated by the [coronavirus] experience people are having now," said Dean DeBiase, Revieve beauty technology consultancy chairman. "The percentage of online commerce has been under 15% in the U.S., whereas in a place like China it is 44% and growing. This acceleration is going to have a long-term impact as more people are now more comfortable ordering online with direct delivery or curbside pick-up."

But despite the boon to the beauty category over the last four months, Asos (like all of fashion) has suffered due to coronavirus. According to its half-year earnings from April, revenue increased by 21% to $2 billion, but group sales declined by 20-25% in the three weeks prior to the quarter ending as countries outside the U.S. were first impacted by coronavirus. Even prior to this, Asos, as a fast-fashion retailer, has had to compete with the likes of Boohoo and Fashion Nova, which has driven down its profitability, according to previous Glossy reporting.

But another silver lining for Asos' beauty category due to coronavirus is that the beauty industry's 3-year-long focus on omnichannel has now shifted to pure-play e-commerce retailers, said Scolding. That puts Asos in a strong position to scoop up premium brands and create a stronger experience. Asos will add virtual try-on and peer-to-peer product reviews over the next 6-18 months. Scolding said she aims to make the face and body category one of the retailer's largest categories, based on the number of brands and products she plans to on-board over the next 12 months, though she declined to state sales growth goals.

"We need to first establish ourselves with all the big brands. That's the most important thing: establishing those relationships with brands, making sure that we are [enhancing] assortments and ensuring that we are meeting all of the customer's needs," said Scolding. "We're introducing more premium brands and more accessibly priced brands, and we're broadening all of these categories. "

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Asos deepens commitment to growing its beauty category - Glossy

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Asos, the U.K. fast-fashion retailer, is upgrading its beauty offerings and customer experience over the next year amid a coronavirus boost in sales but an uncertain fashion climate. Asos launched a beauty and grooming category in 2004, which rebranded as Face and Body in 2017 in order to be genderless.

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Threats- boohoo rising.

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threats- effects of redundancies

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t's amazing now to recall that stock market investors initially thought lockdowns would be bad for online clothing retailers. Shares in Asos roughly halved to £13 during the month of March 2020. They now stand at £53 as business has boomed.

Best of all for shareholders, the company has stopped shooting itself in the foot. Asos over-stretched in 2018 and 2019 by trying to build mega-warehouses in Berlin and Atlanta at the same.

It botched both projects, issued three profit warnings in rapid succession, and made outsiders wonder if an impressive revenue line would ever yield solid profits.

An answer seems closer now. The rough tally this financial year is looking like almost £4bn in sales and about £170m in pre-tax profits. If 4%-ish becomes a reliable profit margin, Asos will have shaken off one big investment worry.

The margin triumph is not yet in the bag, it should be added, because trading in the time of Covid yielded a double benefit. Punters did not merely buy more items, they also returned fewer (nobody's too fussed about the fit of stay-at-home jogging bottoms).

There's also the slight worry that Asos's 20-something audience is more exposed to a drop in disposable income, where the worst effects may still lie ahead.

In the round, though, Covid conditions have clearly been kind to Asos. The pace of sales growth accelerated to 24% in the last four months of 2020, including a remarkable 36% in the UK. Not all the extra business will stick when shops reopen, but a lot should.

Asos is now back at a £5bn valuation. Next, with half its business online already, has passed £10bn - its shares have doubled since their own wobble in March.

The stock market's revised view, in other words, is that prospects for online clothing retailers have changed permanently and fundamentally. Yes, that conclusion now seems blindingly obvious. In retrospect, the sell-off last March was an extraordinary event.

NAO needs listening to

Governments should listen more closely to the National Audit Office, argued the shadow chancellor, Anneliese Dodds, in her Mais lecture on Wednesday evening. That thought is hardly revolutionary, but it has two obvious virtues. First, it is a good idea. Second, Labour needs to talk the language of competence in public spending.

The tragedy of the NAO, the independent public spending watchdog, is that it produces excellent - and often damning - reports that ministers are somehow able to brush aside.

A humdinger from the NAO last November set out, in cold terms, the scale of waste and cronyism in the government's procurement programme during the pandemic.

About £10.5bn out of £18bn of public contracts were awarded without competitive tender and companies were 10 times more likely to succeed in their pitches if they had connections to the Tory party. Even if one allows for the need to act at speed during a health emergency, the statistics are scandalous.

Dodds's idea is that the head of the NAO should make a single annual assessment of the effectiveness of public spending and the government should be obliged to respond. That would not, of course guarantee an end to waste and cronyism. But, yes, it's a more accountable approach than allowing NAO reports to generate a day's headlines and then gather dust.

The political point is that Labour desperately needs to make a display of being on top of financial details. Even when the pandemic has passed, the UK's budget deficits will still be enormous for years to come.

So, yes, hammering away at "value for money" in public spending is essential given the daily reminders (the latest being provision of free school meals) of the government's loose grip of details.

Dodds is an unflashy politician and, until Labour breaks more definitely with some of the policy pledges of the Jeremy Corbyn era, her speech may be lost in the political noise.

But it aimed broadly in the right direction, which is a start. Efficient public spending matters, never more so than now.

Covid brings HR complexities

How should companies treat staff who refuse to get vaccinated? Make them take regular Covid tests, says Alan Jope, Unilever's chief executive.

Yes, that's a commonsense answer. But can one also sack employees who refuse to get tested, or make them work at home?

Covid complexities have only just started for human relations departments.

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Asos turnaround shows Covid has been kind to online retailers | Nils Pratley

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t's amazing now to recall that stock market investors initially thought lockdowns would be bad for online clothing retailers. Shares in Asos roughly halved to £13 during the month of March 2020. They now stand at £53 as business has boomed. Best of all for shareholders, the company has stopped shooting itself in the foot.

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Strengths

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SOCIAL.

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Asos will build giant £90m warehouse in UK and recruit 2,000 workers over next three years - after £142m profits amid surge in online sales due to Covid

Asos saw its annual profits quadruple amid surge in online pandemic shopping

It is now set to open a £90 million UK warehouse which will be staffed by 2,000

The retailer plans to open the centre in Lichfield, Staffordshire within 12 months

Online fashion group Asos has announced it will invest £90m in a new centre after annual profits quadrupled last year.

The retailer plans to open the centre in Lichfield, Staffordshire within 12 months and will employ 2,000 people at the site over the next three years.

The 437,000 square feet, AEW and Allianz Real Estate joint venture warehouse at Fradley Park will open within 12 months and will be fully operational by 2023, Asos said in a statement.

The company in October reported it had seen its annual profits more than quadruple thanks to cost-cutting action and as customers returned fewer items amid the pandemic.

Asos chief executive officer Nick Beighton said: 'This significant investment in infrastructure and large-scale job creation is a reflection of the confidence ASOS has in its future and the quality of the skills and talent available in this well-placed location.'

Business secretary Alok Sharma said the firm was a 'great British success story' with a 'skilled workforce'.

'This job-creating investment in Lichfield is exactly the type of long-term commitment we need from businesses as we build back better from the pandemic,' Mr Sharma added.

Asos reported pre-tax profits of £142.1 million for the year to August 31, up 329% from £33.1 million a year earlier, as sales jumped 19% including 18% growth in the UK.

It shrugged off soaring costs due to the pandemic by making savings across the group, while a trend for customers to buy more carefully and return less also offset plunging demand for 'going-out' items.

Marks & Spencer's quarterly sales drop by more than 7% compared to 2019

Mr Beighton said at the time: 'Life for our 20-something customers is unlikely to return to normal for quite some time.'

But he said in the face of the pandemic, Asos had 'met this challenge head on'.

The group upped its full-year profit outlook in August as it said customers were being more careful about what they buy to avoid sending clothes back during the crisis.

It said shoppers were returning fewer items because they have changed what they buy on the site, switching from formalwear to products such as activewear and mascara, which are less likely to be sent back in normal times.

Asos said UK customer numbers rose 11% over the year to 7 million.

But while online outlets see profits soar, the future of the high street is hanging in the balance as a second lockdown looms.

A raft of popular high street stores including Oasis, Laura Ashley, Debenhams and Warehouse shut up shop after being forced into administration when the UK went into lockdown.

Today, Marks & Spencer revealed it had seen sales fall in the past three months thanks to tough coronavirus restrictions - although its food division grew during the pandemic.

Purchases in the quarter leading up to December 26 fell 7.6% on a like-for-like basis, with the food division increasing 2.6%, but clothing and home sales dropped 24.1%.

It shows how the national lockdown in England hit particularly hard, with both food and non-food sales down 4.5% and 40.5% respectively.

Online sales were strong thanks to a new tie-up with Ocado to offer grocery deliveries for the first time as shoppers were keen on buying sleepwear and leisurewear as they stayed indoors.

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Asos will build giant £90m warehouse in UK and recruit 2,000 workers

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Asos saw its annual profits quadruple amid surge in online pandemic shopping It is now set to open a £90 million UK warehouse which will be staffed by 2,000 The retailer plans to open the centre in Lichfield, Staffordshire within 12 months Online fashion group Asos has announced it will invest £90m in a new centre after annual profits quadrupled last year.

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ECONOMIC.

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sos, the online fashion giant that has seen "exceptional" UK growth, has said it faces Brexit tariff costs of around £15 million following the trade deal that was struck.

The retailer made the estimation as it cemented its status as a lockdown 'winner' and revealed sales jumped 23% in the final four months of 2020.

Under the trade deal struck on Christmas Eve, there are no tariffs for goods coming into the UK. But for firms that import products here and then send them to customers in the bloc there are potential tariffs.

Asos' chief executive Nick Beighton said the company had smartly restructured and invested in its supply chain over the last two years to prepare for Brexit. That includes ensuring all of its EU customers are serviced from a Berlin warehouse.

However, there will still be some goods Asos has to ship out to the Berlin site from the UK, and it forecasts Brexit tariff costs of around £15 million for the year to August.

But full-year profits are expected to rise to around £170 million, up from £135 million analysts had pencilled in.

That came after sales jumped 23% to £1.3 billion in the four months to December 31, with a 36% rise in UK sales.

Beighton said growth was driven by high demand for activewear and loungewear.

It is among firms that saw customers flock online while numerous high street shops had to close for lockdowns.

Beighton said: "Looking forward, given the uncertainty associated with the virus and the impact on customers' lives, our cautious outlook for the second half of the year remains unchanged. However, the strength of our performance gives us confidence in our continued progress towards capturing the global opportunity ahead."

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Asos faces £15m in Brexit tariff costs after booming sales

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sos, the online fashion giant that has seen "exceptional" UK growth, has said it faces Brexit tariff costs of around £15 million following the trade deal that was struck. The retailer made the estimation as it cemented its status as a lockdown 'winner' and revealed sales jumped 23% in the final four months of 2020.

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brexit trade deal

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Following Brexit, the UK is free to strike new deals for selling goods and services around the world.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is on a tour of Australia and Asia, to try to secure some of these deals.

The government will also have to negotiate a new trade agreement with the EU as a top priority.

So, what is free trade and what deals has the UK already done?

What international trade does the UK do?

Selling goods and services to other countries is central to the UK's economy and supports millions of jobs.

In 2018, the total value of UK trade was £1.3 trillion and almost half was with the EU.

UK trade in goods - the products that can be bought and sold - was worth £840bn in 2018. Of this, cars were the biggest single export at £33.3bn, followed by medicine and mechanical power generators at £24.7bn each.

But trade isn't all about goods. Services - the skills which a country provides - were worth almost £460bn in 2018. Examples include finance, insurance, accounting and law.

Companies that sell goods abroad will often provide after-sales services as well. For example, a company that sells or leases power generators may also profit from offering maintenance and repair contracts.

Management consulting and technical services were the biggest UK service exports in 2018, worth £81.3bn.

What is a free trade deal?

A free trade deal aims to encourage trade by making it cheaper. It does this by reducing or eliminating tariffs - charges for trading across borders. These deals usually cover goods, but sometimes include services too.

Trade agreements also aim to remove quotas - these are limits on the amount of goods that can be traded.

Trade can also be made simpler and faster if countries have the same rules, such as the colour of wires in plugs. The closer the rules are, the less likely that goods need to be checked.

So why have tariffs and quotas at all?

While free trade agreements aim to boost trade, too many cheap imports could threaten a country's manufacturers.

In order to protect local car makers, for example, a country could impose tariffs on vehicles from other parts of the world.

Why does the UK need an EU trade deal?

The UK will need an agreement with the EU to stop new tariffs and other trade barriers coming into force after the transition period ends on 31 December 2020.

During the transition period the UK will remain part of the EU's trading arrangements - the single market and the customs union. That means no tariffs, quotas or checks will be introduced.

The point of the transition is to give both sides some breathing space while a trade deal is negotiated, and to give businesses time to get ready.

If any trade deals are reached, either with the EU or other countries, they will not start until the transition period ends.

What about a Canada-style deal?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spoken in favour of an EU trade agreement that builds on the deal that Canada has.

Tariffs on most Canadian goods, such as machine parts, have been eliminated. However, there are some additional checks, such as customs and VAT.

Services, like banking, are much more restricted.

The financial sector is important to the UK economy - so getting a deal in this area will be a high priority.

How easy will it be to negotiate a UK-EU trade deal?

Neither side wants tariffs and quotas - so that part of the trade deal could be straightforward.

But getting agreement around rules and regulations could be much tougher.

The UK and the EU currently have the same rules - from the financial help companies are allowed, to the way wine is labelled.

Moving away from some of these rules might make it easier for the UK to secure trade deals with other countries.

But the EU wants the UK's rules to remain similar, to prevent its companies gaining an advantage.

Even if a trade deal is agreed, it will not eliminate all checks because the EU requires certain goods (such as food) from non-EU countries to be checked.

Time is also a problem. The transition is due to end on 31 December, and formal trade talks are not likely to start until early March.

What happens if UK-EU trade talks fail?

If negotiators fail to reach a deal, the UK faces the prospect of trading with the EU under the basic rules set by the World Trade Organization (WTO).

If the UK had to trade under WTO rules, tariffs would be applied to most goods which UK businesses send to the EU. This would make UK goods more expensive and harder to sell in Europe.

Having WTO terms would also mean full border checks for goods, which could cause traffic bottlenecks at ports.

And the UK service industry would lose its guaranteed access. Qualifications would no longer be recognised and it would be much harder for workers to travel to the EU.

This would affect everyone from bankers and lawyers, to musicians and chefs.

What trade deals has the UK done so far?

While it was an EU member, the UK was automatically part of around 40 trade deals the EU had struck with more than 70 countries.

In the run-up to Brexit, the UK was given permission to copy these agreements. So far, the UK has managed to agree 20 such deals, covering 50 countries or territories. These represent just over 8% of total UK trade.

The following deals are expected to take effect at the end of the transition period, according to the Department for International Trade:

Kosovo (£8m of trade in 2018)

Jordan (£448m in 2018)

Morocco (£2.5bn in 2018)

Georgia (£123m in 2018)

Southern African nations (£10.2bn in 2018)

Tunisia (£542m in 2018)

Lebanon (£762m in 2018)

South Korea (£14.8bn in 2018)

Central America (£1.1bn in 2018)

Andean countries (£3.4bn in 2018)

Norway and Iceland (£30.6bn in 2018)

Caribbean countries (£3.7bn in 2018)

Pacific Islands (£163m in 2018)

Liechtenstein (£146m in 2018)

Israel (£4.2bn in 2018)

Palestinian Authority (£41m in 2018)

Switzerland (£32.4bn in 2018)

The Faroe Islands (£252m in 2018)

Eastern and Southern Africa (£2bn in 2018)

Chile (£2bn in 2018)

Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter

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What does the UK sell to the rest of the world?

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Following Brexit, the UK is free to strike new deals for selling goods and services around the world. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is on a tour of Australia and Asia, to try to secure some of these deals. The government will also have to negotiate a new trade agreement with the EU as a top priority.

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China Cotton Supply

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News

China says a U.S. order to halt imports of cotton and tomatoes from its Xinjiang region over alleged human rights abuses will disrupt global supply chains and harm businesses and consumers

China on Thursday said a U.S. order to halt imports of cotton and tomatoes from its Xinjiang region over alleged human rights abuses will disrupt global supply chains and harm businesses and consumers.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian repeated China's denial that it has trampled on the rights of Uighurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities in Xinjiang and forced them to work on government-owned farms and in other industries.

"The so-called forced labor issue is a lie of the century fabricated out of thin air," Zhao said at a daily briefing.

The U.S. move violated "international trade rules and market economy principles," while disrupting global industrial and supply chains, Zhao said. "It is detrimental to the interests of enterprises and consumers of all countries, including the United States itself, which is a typical act that harms both others and the one itself."

Because Xinjiang is a major global supplier of cotton, the order could have significant effects on international commerce. The Trump administration has already blocked imports from individual companies linked to forced labor in the region, and the U.S. has imposed sanctions on Communist Party officials with prominent roles in the campaign.

China has built a vast system of detention camps where more than 1 million Uighurs and others have been subjected to torture, sterilization and political indoctrination, according to former inmates and monitoring groups. They have also said forced labor has been used as part of an assimilation campaign in a region whose inhabitants are ethnically and culturally distinct from the Han Chinese majority.

Uighur forced labor has been linked by reporting by The Associated Press to various products imported to the U.S., including clothing and electronic goods such as cameras and computer monitors.

China says it aims only to promote economic and social development in the region and stamp out religious extremism, separatism and terrorism.

Canada and Britain both recently said they too would take steps to stop goods tainted by forced labor from entering their countries.

Estimates say the U.S. ban affects about 20% of the global cotton supply. Industry figures say it can be difficult to ensure tainted raw materials do not enter the supply chain, especially because Chinese cotton is used to make clothing for export in other countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam.

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Consumers, businesses to suffer from cotton ban, China says

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News China says a U.S. order to halt imports of cotton and tomatoes from its Xinjiang region over alleged human rights abuses will disrupt global supply chains and harm businesses and consumers China on Thursday said a U.S.

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Social, gendered clothing

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"Unisex," the industry's buzzword and symbol for inclusion and diversity, is now more mainstream thanks to brands casting male and female models for their look books and designers casting a broader spectrum of genders for their fashion shows. But with the advent of unisex collections comes a myriad of questions. For one, what makes a collection unisex? Also, where does it fit in a store or web site?

Few retailers, brands and designers are ready for this movement. Inhabit launched its first genderless collection last fall, Norma Kamali changed her storied brand to a unisex label last year, Umit Benan launched unisex line B+ and Equipment is launching a gender-fluid collection in spring 2020.

Nicopanda, Gypsy Sport and Charles Jeffrey Loverboy are among brands cited as genderless labels, as well as streetwear firms Aries and Les Tien, and Huemn, the Indian ready-to-wear brand and Vogue India Fashion Fund winner that offers gender non-binary pieces on its web site. Stefano Pilati introduced fluid men's wear line Random Identities in 2018, which will be one of the guest presenters at Pitti Uomo, and newer designers such as Mowalola Ogunlesi and Barbara Sanchez-Kane create fluid men's wear offerings for their respective labels.

Even global juggernauts like H&M and Zara have tried their hand at genderless collections, with the Denim United line and Ungendered collection, respectively.

Consumers are ready, especially Gen Z consumers. Phluid Project founder Rob Smith said at the WWD Culture Conference in November that 56 percent of Generation Z consumers shop "outside their assigned gendered area."

But are retailers ready? Selfridges introduced a genderless concept called Agender in 2015, and Finnish retailer Stockmann added a genderless shopping floor called One Way in 2018. There's Studio183 in Berlin that started as a pop-up in 2015, offering seasonless and genderless design, fashion and art, and operates as a permanent store today. Also, non-binary and gender-fluid shop L'Insane opened in Paris at the start of 2019 and the Phluid Project, which recently closed its store, developed a formula that shows retailers can be dedicated to gender-fluid fashion.

New and existing industry players are making strides to be more inclusive, but how much of the progress is actually steps forward? For one, established retailers and brands still separate their stores and web sites according to gender, and it's for only two genders: men and women. Secondly, the words "unisex" and "gender-neutral" are being used interchangeably to refer to genderless collections, but the collections usually lean toward one gender.

So, what must be addressed for things to move forward? Retailers must reassess their merchandising strategies, designers must reevaluate what a genderless collection actually is, and the industry must learn the verbiage.
The Language
Smith at the WWD Culture Conference used a character called the "Gender Unicorn" to illustrate the proper way to address gender and sexuality. He spoke of five things related to identity, including the sex one is assigned at birth, gender identity, gender expression, who one is intimately attracted to and then who one is emotionally attracted to.

The parts that are pertinent to fashion are gender identity and gender expression. To start, a person can be assigned one of three sexes at birth: male, female or intersex. Then comes gender identity, which is what one identifies themselves as and gender expression, which is how one dresses to express themselves. Smith started his speech identifying himself as a "cis man," meaning he was assigned male at birth and identifies as male.

Why is this important? Smith explained at the conference that when he was young, sexuality and expression were lumped together, "but now it's all about separating your sexual orientation with your gender identity."

Christina Zervanos, head of public relations at Phluid Project, said the non-binary consumer "combats the word unisex, because it has the word sex in it. For a lot of people, it speaks to sexuality when it's about how you identify yourself."

"Gen Z is begging for the non-binary language," Zervanos said. "It takes a lot of learning and unlearning." According to Pew Research Center, 35 percent of Gen Z is familiar with gender-neutral pronouns, followed by Millennials at 25 percent. Throw in Gen X at 16 percent and the total number of people familiar with gender-neutral pronouns reaches 76 percent.

Smith also said at the conference, "If I was going to represent a young community, especially a gender-expansive young community, I need to learn the language."

"Personally, I find there is a difference between the two terms," said Brigitte Chartrand, Ssense senior director of women's wear buying. "Unisex feels like an older term, which refers to designs that are not made for a specific body type. Whereas gender-fluid is more of a loose term that can be applied to clothing that embraces or rejects typical gender norms of design. Regardless of specific definitions, I think both terms are about welcoming a community of like-minded individuals with a focus on inclusivity."

Montreal-based retailer Ssense embraces gender-fluid fashion through store buys that blur the distinctions between men's wear and women's wear. Though the Ssense homepage opens with "shop men" and "shop women," Chartrand said the lines have been blurred for five years and merchandising is determined by aesthetics, if a product appeals to the Ssense customer, and years of buying data.

"We don't categorize our brands as 'unisex' or 'gender-fluid'," Chartrand said. "We've had this approach for many years. Our audience is predominantly aged between 18 and 34, so they're generally more open-minded and readier to embrace new ideas. It's more about differences than difficulties. Cut, fit, sizing and styling can all be major considerations."

Many brands are adopting the language, describing their gender-neutral collections as genderless, like Official Rebrand, the genderless label from non-binary designer and creative MI Leggett. They actually coined the term "gender-free."

"Gender is not a fixed thing," said Leggett, whose pronouns are they/them. "I'd never heard people use the term gender-free when I started the brand. It's kind of a play on gluten-free. If you don't tolerate gluten, you don't have to consume it, so I thought it was a funny play. A lot of people use gender-neutral. That feels a little stale to me. Free implies more freedom. Agender, genderless, there's so many ways to describe your ideology as a brand. It all depends on what you actually mean. So to me it's gender-free."
The Design
Brands and designers are falling into the trap of producing a garment and slapping on the title "genderless" despite a piece leaning more toward men's wear or women's wear. Typical genderless garments are either oversize, formless and shapeless or are formfitting. Women have worn traditional men's wear or men's wear-inspired pieces for so long that now those pieces can really no longer be described as men's wear-inspired.

Men adopting women's garments didn't translate as seamlessly, however. For instance, Kanye West wasn't met with much favor when he wore a leather kilt by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy during the "Watch the Throne" tour, but the look did help popularize the reverse layering trend from the mid-2010s (West comments that the kilt looks like a long T-shirt in the Watch the Throne tour behind-the-scenes web series, Voyr). On the flip side, the Celine spring 2011 silk foulard shirt by Phoebe Philo is a grail in the men's wear community because of West, who helped popularize the piece at Coachella in 2011, and later Travis Scott, who donned the blouse in 2018.

Louis Vuitton stirred conversations by casting Jaden Smith for its women's spring 2016 campaign. Rapper Lil Uzi Vert received praise on social media and in media outlets for wearing a kilt to the Thom Browne Thanksgiving football game in November, but Young Thug has had mixed reactions for his fluid style choices. Dennis Rodman was lambasted for his style choices in the mid- to late-Nineties, but Harry Styles had a successful Met Gala moment in 2019 in a sheer Gucci shirt, following in the footsteps of Marc Jacobs, who wore a sheer Prada top at the Met Gala in 2012.

Several brands have adopted the genderless distinction, but none quite like Rad Hourani, who was one of the first fashion designers to establish a unisex, gender-neutral label in 2007. Hourani said he never desired to be a fashion designer. He began developing his own line after he held an art exhibition for neutral clothes, which he described as "a tornado success where I started selling to department stores around the world." Hourani noticed after moving to Paris at age 23 that all things were categorized according to "race, gender, age," including fashion.

"When I speak of neutrality, I speak of any gender or non-gender," he said. "Unisex is free of any gender categorization or limitation. Clothing is a discipline in which I can express myself and my vision around neutrality in general. Expressing gender neutrality is a big part of what I do. There have been unisex pieces like sneakers, jeans, T-shirts, but to create a full high-end collection for 13 years now, I needed to create my own base and sizes."

Hourani sizes his garments from 0 to 3 and translates his sizing to more traditional sizing. For example, a belted coat in size 2 is the equivalent of a size medium, a U.S. men's 38, U.K. men's 38, or Italian men's 48. It's also a size 4 in U.S. women's sizes, 36 in French women's, 8 in U.K. women's, and even a 9 in Japanese women's sizing. The pants waist size equivalent is 29 to 31.

"In the past two years, [genderless fashion] became a bigger subject, but what I notice the most is they use designs that are loose-fitting, but I think it's a much deeper look at unisex morphology. There's nothing new about making a woman masculine or a man feminine. That's not unisex, that's making one the other," Hourani said. "For androgynous, you can't tell, but it's not unisex. Unisex is free of any gender categorization or limitation."

He also sees genderless fashion as less restrictive than gendered fashion. "If you only give a man a dress, you're only limiting him to a dress. But if you give a human a neutral garment, they will wear it any way they want."

No Sesso, the fashion label founded by Pierre Davis in 2015, is helping shape genderless fashion. The Italian phrase "no sesso" translates to "no sex/no gender." Davis, like Hourani, started her line as an art project before establishing a proper fashion collection.

The brand web site offers a tank top and T-shirt in sizes S to XL, though the sizes usually range from XXS to XXXL, and the brand's runway collection and custom pieces are available upon request.

"Back when No Sesso started, there was barely any market for people. Over the last couple of years, there's been more changes, but I feel like retail spaces still mix up unisex as being big, oversize clothing instead of anything you want to wear. Not everything has to look like an apron or a caftan or oversize jeans. I think the sizing needs to be corrected," said Davis.

Spring-summer 2020 is a more accessible offering from Davis, with graphic prints of a superhero on jackets, shorts and swimwear. The collection includes airbrushed graphic T-shirts, and multicolor and sequined pieces like cropped tops, jackets, and dresses, short-sleeve tops with one sleeve, and intricate handwork. This compares to fall-winter 2019, which included more dresses and corsets.

Leggett launched Official Rebrand in 2017 though their brand started in 2016. The label offers repurposed and reclaimed clothing, one-of-a-kind pieces, and an accessible line of screen-printed styles. It also held events at New York Fashion Week and at Miami Art Basel with Drøme.

Leggett will take part in New York Men's Day in February and present a capsule collection that is an extension of the brand.

"I strive to have clothing that can be worn on multiple body types," Leggett said. "One of my closest friends uses crutches and always loves wearing the clothes, and it's always something I'm concerned about with the brand. Right now, I produce everything on my own, but in the next year I'll be scaling up."

Leggett distinguishes sizes according to measurements, though a size chart is not provided on the brand's web site. Much of the current offering on the site is one size, with the exception of a few pieces, including the "Free from Desire" bomber jacket that is available from sizes XS to XL and is made to order. "Most of my work is on consignment. I have a rack of non-binary pieces and never label it by that," they said.

Designer Willie Norris of direct-to-consumer brand Outlier launched his pro-queer brand Willie Norris Workshop in 2018 and held his first runway show in June in New York City. The collection included workwear-inspired ensembles that were adapted to the models cast for the show, many of which were of different body types and gender identities and made their runway debut at the show. In addition, Norris cast the models before the looks were finalized.

"The industry is so predicated on men's wear/women's wear," Norris said. "Everything is set up to work within those confines. That doesn't necessarily bother me, because there will be a group of people who are looking for either, which is why I adopted the queer sensibilities."

Norris presented his collection on a range of body types - slender frames, broad shoulders, varying heights and weights. Black, transgender and disabled model Aaron Philip wore the final look of the show. The collection still mirrored most genderless lines today that push T-shirts and jeans, though Norris broke denim conventions with a zippered jacket that can transform into a cape. The brand is offering its signature "Promote Homosexuality" T-shirts and socks on its web site "that sell themselves," according to Norris.

"I'm not making clothes that everyone can wear," Norris said. "My sizing is not universal, it's men's wear rooted. There wasn't anything [in the collection] overtly feminine. There was one dress, but that was almost like a nod to my culture. It just made sense to have that there with the denim and workwear."

Norma Kamali last year re-branded her women's collection as a genderless line. Men have been wearing her designs since she launched in the Seventies, such as her signature sleeping-bag coat and jumpsuits, but she felt that 2019 was the best time to remove gender distinctions. Now her clothes are offered in a new size range and feature new hangtags to signify the change.

"We have multiple sizes for male and female sizes on our web site," Kamali said. "There's two different sizes, but they apply to that one garment."

Fluid fashion is nothing new to Kamali. She had seen men in the Seventies wear traditional women's garments and styles like blouses, lipstick and high-heeled shoes, which was more modern at the time, and she believes that the feeling and energy of that "liberated time" mirrors today. The look book for her spring collection has female and male models in the same collection styled how they wish.

The web site has a gender-fluid size chart that applies measurements to sizes. On the chart, a size S for women translates to a 4 and a 26 waist, while a men's size S is a 4 and 32 waist. The tapered pleat pant is worn by male and female models, and is offered from a size 28 waist to a size 38. The sleeping-bag coat has two sizes, XS/S and M/L.

"How we express ourselves through clothing is how we come alive, like the balance of feminine and masculine at the same time, which I think more of a gender-fluid description. I know specifically men are buying them, but if I look at a store we sell to like Net-a-porter or Matches, I wouldn't be able to tell which one is male or female," she said.

"Since I've started, [Palomo Spain] has been tied to agender," said Palomo Spain founder and designer Alejandro Gómez Palomo, "but I feel like it's absolute freedom, freedom of choice, and being your most extravagant self. I think freedom is what I crave more in life and what empowers me to have a different conversation with men's wear."

Palomo founded his fashion label in 2015 in Madrid after studying at London College of Fashion. He is now based in Seville in Andalusia, Spain's southern region, where he creates his universe without influence.

He said his label is not strictly a men's wear brand, though he shows during the men's schedule, and presented most recently in Paris for the spring 2020 collection and will do so again this month. Men comprise 90 percent of the Palomo Spain customer, although Palomo does couture for women. When the brand operates pop-ups, women tend to try and buy all of the product. "I was very stubborn in the beginning, but now I see a real possibility of dressing women," he said.

The Palomo Spain silhouette is "tall and thin, sophisticated, slow-moving," said Palomo, and the brand's size L is not a "traditional L," according to the designer. The brand also has a size chart with sizes corresponding with measurements taken with breathing. A size L chest is 100 centimeters (the site does not list a unit of measurement), which would be a 39-inch chest, and the size L waist is 84 centimeters, or 33 inches.

The spring 2020 collection inspired by Pompeii included white tunic dresses paired with a black skirt, caftan tops in sheer chiffon and corsetry, while the fall 2019 runway show was bookended with dramatic dresses. This collection, which is available now, is also comprised of a gold sequined halter top, wrap blouse and a black velvet cape, as well as taffeta bomber jackets and satin robes.

"We try to be very democratic in the way we produce clothes," Palomo said. "A lot of meaning of the house is that everyone can feel welcome and live a fantasy in their mind. We want to be very inclusive, but women's shapes change the stories completely. It's a very difficult point to get because men and women have different bodies and it's a different line in the pattern making. Once you put a chest dart in a shirt it looks awkward on men. But we're working on shaping for women at the time as well."

Palomo shared more thoughts on gender-fluid fashion today. "When brands do unisex, they're just doing a tracksuit, oversize sweats. Unisex should be something glamorous that could be for men and for women. We'll need to find a way and that's what we [at Palomo Spain] work to all year. When we get into the whole word of 'gender' - and I've been promoting from the beginning - that you may feel in between and it's a reality. I don't want to make that distinction, but when you get on the site you see that it works for both men and women."

Men are styled in the collection on the brand web shop, but women have appeared in editorials. Model Crisgery Stalman is featured in one of the brand's editorials for the fall 2019 collection, "1916."

Designer Ludovic de Saint Sernin also produces inclusive garments and said, "It fits in the gender-fluid world, but for me it's more the idea of being the garment and being defined by the wearer. If it's on men then it's men's wear, if it's on a woman it's women's wear, if it's fluid then it's fluid."

The 2018 LVMH Prize finalist, 2018 ANDAM prize winner and Woolmark Prize finalist presented in Paris his spring 2020 collection that includes sheer garments that are supposed to look like someone walking out of water, open-shoulder tops and tops with cutouts that expose the chest. He introduced his first women's offering as well after noticing a "real demand on girls wanting to wear the brand."

De Saint Sernin designed women's wear at Balmain under Olivier Rousteing before founding his namesake label. He works with a male fit model, but since his experience was previously in women's wear, his mannequin is a female body. He is also working with an androgynous fit model "to see a women's look and a men's look."

"I introduced this dress called the swan dress that has done really well," he said. "It was actually a piece I had in my first collection as an apron dress and worn with a pair of pants, and for spring 2020 I transformed it into a sexy party dress. A piece that looks like a strictly women's piece comes from a piece that was meant for a guy."

The brand web site is currently offering only underwear, but the label is available on Farfetch, Matchesfashion, Totokaelo and Garmentory under men's wear and at L'Insane. L'Insane is the only retail partner that does not classify the brand as men's wear, because the web site does not specify collections by gender. Garmentory has a unisex section on its web site, but merchandises Ludovic de Saint Sernin in men's wear.
The Retail
When selling the collection to retailers, de Saint Sernin said, "The message that we have is so clear that when the buyers come in, they know if it will work for them and if it won't work for them. We sell directly to buyers, it's a very genuine relationship."

Still, gender-fluid fashion does not have a proper home at retailers that adhere to gendered fashion, with the exception of the newer non-gender-conforming stores that have opened, or longtime retailers like Selfridges and Stockmann that have launched shops dedicated to gender-fluid fashion.

New York-based Totokaelo has women's and men's sections on its web site, but is "not afraid to blur lines between categories and genders," according to Fanny Damiette, director of brand and marketing strategy for Totokaelo's parent company Need Supply. The Totokaelo Archive collection that made its debut for spring 2019 featured a pleated skirt for men and sheer shirts in organza.

"Archive was created for this person," Damiette said. "We doubled down and have products that are genderless. There's a consciousness of being mindful of different body types and genders, but since our customer is more on the mature side, we are well aware of that and it's definitely in our mind in terms of sizing and proportion."

Despite the push for gender inclusion, the retailer cannot be a fully gender-fluid store yet. "We have to merch the site with women's and men's and it's a tricky thing," Damiette said. "Right now, we can't, but it's on our radar."

She added, "In the store, it's more interesting because here we can blur the lines in a more interesting way. We still have a women's and men's side, but since it's physical, our customers go from one side to the other."

Ssense also embraces fluidity. Chartrand said "Blurring the lines between women's wear and men's wear feels very authentic to our buying direction and we've had this approach for many years."

The openness is exhibited through the diverse brand mix, which includes Palomo Spain and Jil Sander-plus, among others that are either genderless brands, encourage all genders to shop their collections, or challenge traditional men's wear conventions and norms. Ssense hosted a Random Identities runway show at its headquarters, featured Aries founder Sofia Prantera on its web site, and recently had an interview with 69, the Los Angeles-based non-demographic clothing brand.

"Since 2014, we have always blurred the lines between what 'belongs' where in terms of women's wear and men's wear," said Chartrand. "We have and continue to purchase men's wear brands like Raf Simons, Wales Bonner, Mowalola for the women's wear side of Ssense.com, buying a women's wear knit or jacket and uploading it on a male model and making it available to the men's wear side. It's always been part of our buying direction to not buy brands or items strictly as women's wear, men's wear, or even 'unisex'."

But Chartrand said Ssense has no plans to open a dedicated genderless section.

At the recently closed Phluid Project brick-and-mortar store, the buying process followed a designer open call every Tuesday, and brands were accepted to the store according to their mission and concept. "We have an ongoing artist residency program, taking Gen Z into consideration and having a high-low lens for all those that appreciate non-binary fashion," said Zervanos.

The store carried brands such as Levi's, Fila, Dr. Martens, Champion, Chrishabana, Gypsy Sport, Happy Socks, Heurueh, Nicopanda, Vasilis Loizides, WeSC and Wilde Vertigga, among others. Only Levi's, Fila, Happy Socks and Heurueh are available on the Phluid web site now.

"The first thing we often do is go to their Instagram page, what is their casting?" said Zervanos. "You can look at a nine-image grid and know if they're gender-inclusive or not."

But how do designers sell to stores that are gender-specific? Palomo said Opening Ceremony, his first retail partner, bought his brand for the women's section, but moved the collection to the men's section after more men were buying. He said the retailer clued him in to men buying the brand. Palomo sells to men or women depending on the retail channel.

Rad Hourani said he had requested stores merchandise his collections in men's and women's sections or create a unisex section if they did not want to stock the brand in either section.

"One of the major online stores, we had to really dispute every time and finally we stopped selling to them and now they shoot unisex," Hourani said. "I don't think all of the stores really understand the distribution of unisex yet. I hope it's not just a trend moment."

Norris said, "My plan for the time being is I don't want to work in any sort of traditional wholesale model. I'm in a fortunate place right now, because I do have a full-time job that I really like so I'm not in a rush to blow this thing up and get wholesale accounts at the end of the year. My dream is to have one to five products, identifiable signature styles that can carry the brand."

"I find most commercial floors alienating," said Leggett. "If you go into a big store, the way the stores are laid out is very binary and with mannequins saying this is how you should be."

In regard to selling their collections to stores, Leggett said, "I definitely trust other people to tell the brand story as well. If you're running a store, you should feel passionate about the brand."
The Future
No one knows for sure what the future holds in terms of shopping trends, but what is known is that 56 percent of Gen Z consumers shop outside of their assigned gendered area. The generation is also slowly entering the workforce, with just a small majority there today. By 2030, the youngest member of Gen Z will be 20 years old.

The generation has a buying power of $143 billion, and an influence of up to $200 billion, according to Smith at the Culture Conference, and that is before all members have entered the workforce.

Millennials, the second largest group to accept gender-inclusivity, were projected last year to have a buying power of $1.4 trillion in the U.S. annually and represent 30 percent of total retail sales, according to Accenture.

Regardless of which generation is leading the charge, consumer spending will have an impact on the industry and its shift.

"We're already beginning to see a shift in the industry through multiple waves; through casting of androgynous, trans and gender non-conforming models, as well as combined women's wear and men's wear runways," said Chartrand. "We're seeing the shift take place through how products are being bought, whether it's unisex, gender-fluid items, or women's wear items on the men's wear side. I'm sure the success of brands like Telfar is inspiring to new designers who will emerge in coming years with this inclusive mentality."

"I think because the gender subject has been raising up in the past five years that it's all over the world," Hourani said. "It's definitely because we talk about gender in so many ways."

"The 2020s is going to be more progressive," said Davis. "I definitely see things shifting a lot more and already things have shifted. Brands need someone on the design team who absolutely gets it and having fit analysis with all different fits instead of the same models they use. I do see a change hopefully in the new year and new decade brings more awareness and allows more people to participate in fashion."

"I think the problem is the industry is not that progressive," said Tibi designer Amy Smilovic. "This industry recycles people all the time and doesn't let in new people all the time."

Smilovic had been inspired by men's tailoring when she founded her label 22 years ago, and prior to unveiling men's wear, she cast male models for her runway shows "to take away that overly feminine feeling," Smilovic said. The brand office is "30 percent male," she added, and "it was starting to feel more and more wrong that I didn't have things they could wear easily as well."

She said, "As a mom of two sons who are Gen Z, they don't care if something is men's or women's at all. The younger generation is growing up in this world where they're driven by what they like. They don't discern by men's and women's. We live in Greenwich [Conn.] and one of my son's best friends transitioned and it's a part of their daily conversations with their friends."

Palomo said, "I think this decade is going to be a really big change. It was big in the Twenties and I'm expecting the 2020s to be the same."

He said he believes men's wear will be of more importance and will "hopefully" merge with women's wear for a non-binary customer.

"I know a lot of retailers are playing into that already," he said, "but everyone is kind of scared so it'll be up to society to dictate that. In fashion, we have very optimistic views of the future, but we don't know what's going to happen."

Leggett said, "I think that people are starting to realize these norms are just norms and don't really make that much sense for being comfortable. The fact that [New York Men's Day] recruited me and actively recruited gender-free brands says a lot. This is just the beginning and I think it really comes through with queer creatives. This is our lives, this isn't a trend."

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Decoding Genderless Fashion, the Future of the Industry

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"Unisex," the industry's buzzword and symbol for inclusion and diversity, is now more mainstream thanks to brands casting male and female models for their look books and designers casting a broader spectrum of genders for their fashion shows. But with the advent of unisex collections comes a myriad of questions.

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TECH- ai zalando

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Founded in 2008 by business school friends Robert Gentz and David Schneider, German-headquartered "etailer" Zalando is as much of a tech company as it is a retailer. Today, it's Europe's leading online fashion platform serving 17 European markets with 400,000 products from 2,000 brands. One reason the company can provide a personalized user experience to its 27 million customers is because of the way it uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning just like the other 28 percent of retailers who used artificial intelligence in 2018. Here are only a few of the ways Zalando uses machine learning and artificial intelligence today.

The Amazing Ways Retail Giant Zalando Is Using Artificial Intelligence
Adobe Stock

Algorithmic Fashion Companion (AFC)-A Virtual Style Assistant
One of the ways Zalando uses technology to improve the user experience is through its Algorithmic Fashion Companion (AFC), a digital outfit recommendation tool that can generate outfit recommendations in real-time. The algorithm's recommendations are based on products that the customer has put in their "wish list," expressed interest in or purchased before. Human stylists provide adjustments to the algorithm to be sure its recommendations follow current fashion trends. AFC helps inspire Zalando customers as well as deliver outfit recommendations from what otherwise could be an overwhelming amount of choices. It's not only a good user experience for the customer but drives business as well. Zalando reports that outfit recommendations drive 40 percent larger basket sizes. They also found that male customers are highly engaged with the recommendation engine. While AI helps the company scale its recommendations, it anticipates that it will always need human stylists. Zalando is working on how to create a similar recommendation engine for its beauty products as well.
Machine Learning to Understand Customers Better
At Zalando, there are teams, that include 120 researchers, focused on how machine learning, that can help the company better understand fashion, what makes a good outfit, the intent of the customer at the moment they are on the site as well as to discern what each customer likes. Ultimately, with the help of machine learning, Zalando hopes to be able to provide a personalized boutique experience for every single customer. When they are able to provide automated recommendations that are tailored to each individual's in-the-moment goals, they will be closer to achieving their ultimate goal to become the continent's fashion platform.

While machine learning certainly showed its abilities in fashion, there are limitations. Celebrities, "influencers" and other social influences are important when driving fashion trends, and it would be hard to imagine AI being able to fully respond to these human idiosyncrasies with automatic recommendations. Additionally, consumers aren't always shopping for themselves. Machine learning must analyze all the information at a given moment, and while it gets better over time with more data, it doesn't hit the mark 100 percent of the time.
Deep Learning for Visual Search
When customers see an article of clothing, accessory, or shoes on social media or worn by one of their favorite celebrities, they often want to try to find it and buy it through on online store. Visual search, where fashion items can be identified by an image and located online to purchase, is available through Zalando's app and Facebook chatbot. The Zalando team continues to refine its deep learning algorithms for visual search by building on its FashionDNA system.
How Has AI Affected Human Zalando Employees?
While human fashion stylists might be safe for now, 250 marketing and communications professionals were cut as part of a strategy to drive a "personalized customer approach and AI-driven marketing solutions." The realignment of the marketing team was aimed at being able to provide more personalized solutions for customers using AI. Even though this change was unexpected for the marketing and communications professionals, one first-hand account offers a perspective of the trajectory of change that might be experienced by humans when their positions have been eliminated by machines. Initially there's uncertainty and confusion, but, in this case anyway, it led to a new start.
A Leader in the Artificial Intelligence Community
As a current focal point for Zalando, artificial intelligence not only helps to create a personalized shopping experience for customers but it also helps to optimize its business operations from supply chains to logistics and seasonal demand to preventing fraud.

As a result of its leadership in artificial intelligence and machine learning in Europe, Zalando has employees at the European Commission, an organization that tackles ethical questions of the technology as well as AI policy and investments on the part of the EU.

The company's research team also released Fashion-MNIST, a dataset of the company's images, that it hopes will support the study of machine learning. They also made Feidegger, a dataset of dress images with accompanying text descriptions, available to the research community. These datasets can help the research community experiment and create various machine-learning tasks. The datasets were already used to create a dress recommendation and dress tagging systems that could benefit other retailers.

To increase its influence as a fashion platform, Zalando gives infrastructure and new customers to several fashion startups and has gone beyond fashion to offer financial support and guidance to startups that " use technology to increase supply chain transparency" with its zIMPACT program.

... Read More

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The Amazing Ways Retail Giant Zalando Is Using Artificial Intelligence

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Founded in 2008 by business school friends Robert Gentz and David Schneider, German-headquartered "etailer" Zalando is as much of a tech company as it is a retailer. Today, it's Europe's leading online fashion platform serving 17 European markets with 400,000 products from 2,000 brands.

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I sent out a survey to a Facebook group with the aim of understanding the thoughts behind unisex clothing with Gen Z and Millennials. The results are posted below as well as annotated in my INP.
It was found that over 90% of people felt that clothing should not be considered specifically just one gender and most felt as though although some items can be considered gender specific, not all should.
A large amount of people also felt that there should be another category available on online retailers other than just 'mens' and 'womens'. This shows that these generations are considerate of changing identities and would like to see brands cater toward minorities.

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The acquisition was announced on a Monday morning ready to excite the shareholders which resulted in ASOS share price rocketing for three consecutive days. Buying these companies has showed potential investors that ASOS have money and are continuing to grow and build on their business strategy.

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The online fashion retailer Asos is the new owner of Topshop and other leading brands from Sir Philip Green's Arcadia empire after a £330m deal that puts thousands of jobs at risk.

The deal also includes Topman, Miss Selfridge and the activewear brand HIIT, which were put up for sale after Arcadia collapsed into administration last year.

Asos, which only operates online, has not agreed to buy any of the brands' 70 stores, putting at risk the jobs of 2,500 high-street shop workers. It is understood an additional 50 stores have permanently shut since administrators were appointed in November. Warehouse and head office jobs are also at risk.

Only 300 head office staff will be saved as part of the Asos deal, to help with design, buying and retail partnerships.

An administrators' report seen by the Guardian last week showed that Topshop and Topman alone employ about 4,792 staff. Arcadia Group as a whole employed 13,000 staff and had 500 stores across the UK when it entered administration in November.

Asos paid £330m in total, including £265m for the brands and £65m for current and future stock.

The deal does not include any of Arcadia's warehouses or its distribution centre in Daventry. The Asos chief executive, Nick Beighton, said the company already had its own "well-funded and built out warehouse strategy" and the Daventry site was not purpose-built to handle online shopping orders.

Administrators at Deloitte have asked Asos to consider keeping open Topshop's flagship Oxford Street store, though Beighton said he would only be interested in a third-party partnership, rather than adopting the lease or buying the site entirely.

"It's not our core model to take stores, nor our core strategy, but never say never. So, since we were presented with opportunity we said we'd have a look, but it's not our number one priority or focus right now," he said.

The online retailer, which confirmed last week it was in exclusive negotiations with Arcadia's administrators after the Guardian first revealed the talks, will complete the takeover by Thursday.

The changeover is expected to take place on Wednesday night, with customers likely to be greeted with a webpage redirecting them to the Asos site, which will start incorporating the new brands into its own online platform.

Beighton said he was "extremely proud" of the deal. "The acquisition of these iconic British brands is a hugely exciting moment for Asos and our customers and will help accelerate our multibrand platform strategy," he said.

"We have been central to driving their recent growth online and, under our ownership, we will develop them further, using our design, marketing, technology and logistics expertise, and working closely with key strategic retail partners in the UK and around the world."

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The deal sent Asos shares up nearly 7% on Monday.

A report by the administrators Deloitte, seen by the Guardian, suggested Green's family was likely to receive £50m from the sale, relating to an interest-free loan it made to the group in 2019 at the time of an emergency restructure. However, more than 1,000 suppliers and landlords to the high-street fashion chain will get less than 1% of the money owed to them.

Meanwhile, affected workers commented on Twitter, with one saying they had worked for Topshop for two years but that their manager only heard their jobs were at risk through news reports on Monday. "It's actually disgusting ... the administrators didn't inform us, the press/social media knew before we did. Disappointed isn't the word today," they said.

It's actually disgusting. I've worked for Topshop for 2 years & my own manager found out through Sky News as the Administrators didn't inform us, the press/social media knew before we did. Disappointed isn't the word today.
- Beccy (@Billies_Wife) February 1, 2021

Asos is believed to have beaten other potential bidders including the Chinese fashion retailer Shein, Authentic Brands, the US owner of the Barneys department store - which was linked to a joint bid with JD Sports - and the billionaire Issa brothers, who in October announced they were buying Asda for £6.8bn.

Online group Boohoo confirmed last week it had entered into exclusive talks to buy the final three Arcadia brands: Wallis, Dorothy Perkins and Burton. Evans, its plus-size clothing brand, was sold to the Australian retailer City Chic Collective for £23m in December.

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Asos buys Topshop and Miss Selfridge brands for £330m

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The online fashion retailer Asos is the new owner of Topshop and other leading brands from Sir Philip Green's Arcadia empire after a £330m deal that puts thousands of jobs at risk. The deal also includes Topman, Miss Selfridge and the activewear brand HIIT, which were put up for sale after Arcadia collapsed into administration last year.

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ASOS provide detailed messages about where they stand regarding sustainability, diversity and ethics. They follow the values Authentic, Brave and True and carry this through  everything they produce.
They recently released their first every circular range and taught classes to their designers about how to continue this level of sustainability.

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"ASOS has delivered another strong performance, with continued growth in customer numbers driving further increases in sales and profits. Our success has been underpinned by our focus on delighting fashion-loving twenty-something customers with greater choice, service, and engagement. We have also continued to invest in our platform and offer, including the successful acquisition and integration of the Topshop brands. This performance is based on the hard work and determination of all ASOS- ers and I want to thank them for everything they have done.

"Looking ahead, while our performance in the next 12 months is likely to be constrained by demand volatility and global supply chain and cost pressures, we are confident in our ability to capture the sizeable opportunities ahead. In the last two years, we have transformed ASOS with investment in infrastructure and the customer offer; we have generated strong revenue growth and free cash flow and improved structural profitability. But we know there is more to do and today we are setting out details of our ambitious plan to significantly increase ASOS's sales and profitability becoming a £7bn business within four years. I am delighted to be taking on the role of COO and will work tirelessly with all ASOS- ers to deliver against our refreshed strategy ."

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"ASOS has delivered another strong performance, with continued growth in customer numbers driving further increases in sales and profits. Our success has been underpinned by our focus on delighting fashion-loving twenty-something customers with greater choice, service, and engagement. We have also continued to invest in our platform and offer, including the successful acquisition and integration of the Topshop brands.

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This article outlines the pros and cons of sourcing in the Far East. Although I am sourcing from the UK, I used this article to consider why the UK is better than sourcing in the Far East.

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YUNGBLUD Announces New EP "The Underrated Youth", Drops New Music Video for "Hope For The Underrated Youth"

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British singer-songwriter YUNGBLUD announced the release date of his third EP "The Underrated Youth" and dropped a new music video for "Hope For The Underrated Youth" directed by Andrew Sandler.

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I researched WGSN trends on both menswear and womenswear to ensure there was no bias in the unisex trend and I was taking into account more feminine trends to incorporate it into my range.
Granny patterns and prints were a key theme throughout menswear and womenswear and so I decided to interpret this trend into Yungbluds style of darker colours and make the granny attic trend commercial to the target consumer. I used the argyle print to balance grunge vibes with nostalgia.
Another theme was soft punk in womenswear which perfectly encapsulated the feel of the trend I was going for. A perfect mix of soft pastels contradicted by punk anarchy.
These references are found throughout my trend.

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refuses to stay quiet. In 2018, the Yorkshire, England native released his debut album, 21st Century Liability , marrying pop-punk and hot-button political topics with tracks like " I Love You, Will You Marry Me ," a statement on corporate greed, and " Machine Gun (F**k The NRA) ," a comment on American gun culture. That same year, the singer-songwriter, born Dominic Harrison, livestreamed his attendance at the student-led March for Our Lives rally against gun violence, inspiring his fans-who he describes as mates and fellow misfits-to use their voices as well.

Since then, the 22-year-old has released his 2019 EP, , and increasingly uses his social media platforms as a call to action, most recently while attending multiple Black Lives Matter protests in Los Angeles. Now, he's set to release his sophomore record, led by the provocative, scream-along single " Strawberry Lipstick ." Speaking to Spotify about mobilizing his fanbase, Harrison-in his Brit-punk snarl-discussed how he's initiating real change by prioritizing community and culture over everything else.
Spotify for Artists: What was the inspiration for "Strawberry Lipstick"?
YUNGBLUD: All YUNGBLUD ever was to me was about culture. Building a culture around the idea that if the world doesn't want to accept you, we're just going to build another one where we can live and exist together. A world where the freak is accepted, and no matter what sexuality you are, what color you are, what shade you are, what opinions you may have, you will always be heard here.

When I was younger, the world didn't want to know me. The world didn't want to understand what I had to say. It really made me frightened. It's important to me because this song single-handedly saved my existence. A lot of people were telling me to go in a more "poppy" commercial direction that would appeal to the masses. They were talking from a perspective of not understanding me. Everyone was trying to normalize me-I didn't want to be f**king normal. I was like, "You want f**king normal? Look at this. I'm dropping a song, I'm going to be in a Union Jack dress with my bulldog." Just saying, for people who don't know about us, "Welcome to the family," and for people who do know about us, "Put your f**king seatbelt on 'cause we're about to go into fifth gear."
How do you balance an authentic connection with your community while growing your fanbase?
Even though there are many of us, there is one. Our souls are connected. There's a wire running out of my arm into millions of these kids' hearts and then they're running back because we understand each other when no one else does. I ain't arsed about hits or charts 'cause that's just numbers to me. All I care about is how many people I walk out to. I want a stadium full of mates-that's what I call them. I FaceTime them all the time, and I will be outside at the venue, even if it's an arena, because I wouldn't be here without them. They make me feel heard, liberated, excited, unified, and myself. Everyone's got this thing in common. It's not me, it's this ideology. YUNGBLUD isn't Dom from Doncaster with red hair and pink socks-YUNGBLUD is something that Dom from Doncaster in red hair and pink socks connects to.

Did using your platform to mobilize your fanbase come naturally to you?

I was s**t on social media first. I was shy-I got signed because I wanted to do rock music. Then someone very special to me said, "Put that camera up and when you look down the lens, you're looking into someone's eyes." As soon as he said that to me, I was like, OK, I can do this. I run my social media-no one is allowed to touch it. That's how we have a conversation. You can tell if someone else is posting for someone else-it's not a conversation. All I want to do is tell the truth. I might be wrong sometimes and with movements in terms of sexuality and race, sometimes I'm f**king wrong. I love that our community uplifts each other to go, "No, that's actually not right. We should do this," and it's great. We're becoming better people and building a world that is going to be better.

How can artists balance their desire to be political as a public person while releasing music?

If you are not liked by nobody, then no one's going to like you. It doesn't have to be, "I am a political activist," but say something because that's how someone's going to have a conversation with you. If you have nothing to say, then you're not going to be talking for very long. I love my fanbase because they get my little bits of inflections about society. In "Strawberry Lipstick," one of the lyrics is "They're gonna lock me in the closet, but I'm coming out/Singing, 'F**k all the oppression and self-doubt.'" That was a comment on sexuality and me being confused by my own sexuality. Then in the second bit, it says "I can't breathe." I was very caught up in the BLM movements in Los Angeles and that's about that. The chorus is, "Take it easy, take it easy, take it easy on me." The world is mad right now. We all want to be like, "Just take it easy." It's all about having a conversation with people because artists got into my head and made me feel like they knew what I was thinking that hadn't even met me, so I'm just trying my best to do that-let other people know that it's all going to be alright.
-Erica Campbell

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How YUNGBLUD Built an Inclusive Fanbase Through Activism and Artistry - Spotify for Artists

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refuses to stay quiet. In 2018, the Yorkshire, England native released his debut album, 21st Century Liability , marrying pop-punk and hot-button political topics with tracks like " I Love You, Will You Marry Me ," a statement on corporate greed, and " Machine Gun (F**k The NRA) ," a comment on American gun culture.

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COLLUSION by ASOS is one of the main reasons i decided to highlight another unisex, gender bending range with asos. The success of this brand is pivotal in the fashion industry pushing boundaries. "It was searched a totally casual 7.1 million times and worn by 1.5 million of you" This is evidence consumers are loving this type of product right now, unisex, casual trendy pieces.

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MOST VIEWED: ASOS DESIGN

You were showing us the love in 2020 with 273 million views of ASOS DESIGN products 🤩 But the real star of the show was our jersey top, which beat out dresses in a serious 2020 plot twist (we blame the Zooms) with 112 million views.

ASOS Design is the brand i am using within the ASOS website as it is always in the top 10 trending brands on ASOS and allows complete freedom of choice in regards to collections. Consumers are loving ASOS Design right now which means this range has the best chance possible to be successful.

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placement prints show growth for 6sixof past 12 months, rising in March-May (pandemic) and again in July-October (BLM, US Elections) -WGSN Buyers' Briefing A/W 21/22: Womenswear Print & Pattern

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Number 3 outlines importance of brands slogan activism being supported by charities and movements as consumers become tired of tokenistic messaging. I want to involve slogan tees, and so now I will research charities or movements which ASOS could support.